


Come Unto Me

by JavierDjarin



Category: Narcos (TV), Pedro Pascal - Fandom
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/M, Strong Language, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:13:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29322237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JavierDjarin/pseuds/JavierDjarin
Summary: Colombia in the 80s is where it’s at. Especially if you’re a young, hungry DEA Agent looking to be in the middle of the heat of the action and to get a taste of that magical realism everyone is talking about.Javier Peña had put in a request for a new partner ages ago, and now finally the Agency has broken down and is giving him one. However, papers were crossed and he’s being sent two: Steve Murphy - transfer in from Miami and gringo to a T; and Jasmina Rivera - transfer in from Guadalajara and exactly what Javi needs to add to his stress.Jasmina Rivera is ready for a change. Guadalajara had lost its excitement. The lack of support from superiors and politicians in Mexico City had been enough to send her running to Colombia. She knew wherever she went she’d run into the same problems, but she needed a change. Little did she know she’d be reunited with the one person she thought she’d never see again. The one who drove her crazy every time she was near him; the one she fantasized about; the one man she’d shoot if she was ever given the chance.
Relationships: Javier Peña/Mina Rivera (Fem!OC), Javier Peña/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All Spanish translations can be found at the bottom of each chapter.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 12 years before Colombia. Javi and Mina are graduating from the DEA Academy, and before they leave on their assignments, Mina wants to tell him exactly how she feels. They’d been together long enough that she figured it was time. However, disaster strikes and now their relationship is forever changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Alleged Cheating Accusations

> _“Everything was everything  
> _ _But baby it’s the last show  
> _ _Everything could be everything  
> _ _But it’s time to say goodbye so  
> _ _Get your last fix, and your last hit  
> _ _Grab your old girl with her new tricks  
> _ _Honey, yeah, it’s no surprise  
> _ _That I got lost in your brown eyes” -_ [Brown Eyes by Lady Gaga](https://href.li/?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izxm-zKdxoM&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=LadyGaga-Topic)

Mina stood in her room, smoothing out the tight black dress she’d bought for tonight. Not only was this the night celebrating their graduation from the academy, but it was also a special night for her and her boyfriend and classmate, Javier Peña. They’d been together for a while now. At first, it was all purely physical between them. Now? They’d grown to know each other and really care about one another. Mina decided days ago that what she was feeling was love. Honestly, she knew deep down that she’d been in love with Javi since the first day, but his suave and cocky demeanor prevented her from ever admitting it. She didn’t want it to go straight to his head that he was irresistible. So, as she stood there running her hands down the soft material, she imagined the look on his face as she finally told him how she really felt. 

Tonight, the Academy was holding a Gala celebrating all their graduates. It was one last hurrah before they received their assignments and joined the real world. Mina grabbed her jacket off the hook in her foyer and clutch before heading out. She had told Javi the night before to meet her on the steps in front of the Gala, to which he happily agreed. It was only a short walk from her apartment; a perfect chance for her to figure out exactly what it was she was going to say to him. “Javier,” she mumbled to herself as practice, “I know we’ve only known each other for a year…” She frowned. _No, I sound like an idiot._ “We’ve been having fun…” She shook her head. _Now, I sound like I’m dumping him._

Mina was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear a voice calling from behind her until they were standing next to her. Her best friend in the Academy, Amelia, caught up to her and smiled. “Talking to yourself again?” She laughed.

Mina smiled at her nervously. “Tonight’s the night I’m going to tell him.”

She wrapped her arm through Mina’s while they walked. “What is his assignment?”

Both Mina and Amelia were given New Mexico, but Javi was assigned to El Paso. She glanced at her, sadness in her eyes. “Texas.”

Amelia sighed. “Figures they wouldn’t let the two of you stay together.”

They could hear the music and chatter coming from the large Hall. They rounded a corner and saw Javi standing on the steps nervously, almost frantically looking for Mina and then occasionally glancing back inside. He tried to look relieved when he saw them, but failed miserably. Mina could tell something was wrong.

“You look like shit, Jav!” Amelia exclaimed.

He shot her an evil glare before turning his attention back to Mina. “You look beautiful as ever,” he said almost too fast before giving her a quick peck on her cheek.

Mina glared at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Amelia took the hint and left them alone. “I’ll grab us a table.”

Javi grabbed Mina by the arm and led her away from the front. They were hidden off to the side by a bush and some statues. He held her to him and kissed her deeply and passionately. Mina loved the feel of him against her. She would always give him this: the man was good at what he did. Kissing, touching, fucking. All of it. His hands held onto the sides of her hips, fingers digging into her and only adding to her sudden arousal. She moaned against his mouth before putting her hand on his chest to push him away. As they caught their breath, she gazed at him. His dark, brown eyes were different. They were full of sorrow, regret. “Javi,” she whispered, “I need you to tell me what’s wrong.”

His gaze softened. “Mina,” he breathed, his hand resting on her arm, “we can’t go inside together, but I want you to know you mean more to me than anything in the world.”

She felt her stomach drop. “You’re scaring me.”

He held her face in his hands. “I’m so sorry, and I will explain everything. I promise,” he kissed her softly, “I just don’t have time to right now.”

“Javi!” They heard a feminine voice call from the stairs. “Javi!”

Mina’s eyes widened as a cold chill washed over her. “What’s going on? Who’s that?”

“I need you to trust me, Mina. I promise I will explain everything later.” He stood straighter and fixed his suit, turning to return to the voice. “Don’t follow me,” he whispered. Mina stumbled behind him a ways, but held back to stay hidden in the bushes. “Sorry, Lorraine,” he called. “Let’s go in.”

 _Lorraine?_ That was his ex from back home. What the fuck was she doing here? She watched him as he held his hand against her lower back, ushering her forward. He turned back, giving Mina an apologetic look. Her heart cracked with each step he took away from her. When he disappeared into the building she felt the breath escape from her lungs. She sat down on the low retaining wall nearby and tried to keep it together. Her entire body went numb and her chest tightened as pains shot up and down her arms. _Oh god, I’m having a heart attack,_ she thought.

She had no idea how long she’d been sitting there, trying to maintain her composure. But she was brought out of it when she felt Amelia’s hand on her arm. “Mina,” she softly said, “Mina, what the fuck is going on?”

She blinked several times to prevent tears from ruining her makeup as she stared absentmindedly through her friend. “Mina!’ she exclaimed, shaking her. “Who is he here with?”

“His-his ex,” she muttered, “or at least I thought she was.”

Amelia raged as she glared back at the gala. “Well she looks awfully comfortable with him,” she spat.

Mina shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that to me, right?” she looked at her, “there has to be a reason why she’s here.” 

Amelia tried to calm down to keep Mina calm. “Let’s go inside. Mac and Tom saved us a table, and if Javi knows what’s good for him, he will avoid it. Mac is ready to throttle him.”

She felt like she was on autopilot while nodding her head, still in denial. Amelia wrapped her arm around hers and led her up the stairs. “I know it’s easier said than done,” she added, “but don’t let him see you like this.”

She watched Mina transform into a different person as she straightened her posture and bore the same confidence that she had only moments before. It killed her to see her best friend put up this facade, but she couldn’t let Javier win. Two men waved them over to a table for six and Amelia dragged her over. Mac, a tall blue-eyed dream that had quickly become a close friend of hers in the academy, instantly threw his arm around her. “I’m going to kick his ever-loving ass,” he growled into her ear.

The dark-haired gentleman next to him was Tom, and he handed her a champagne flute. “We both will,” he muttered.

She smiled at them, or at least tried to, before taking a long sip from her drink. Amelia wrapped her arm through Tom’s. “Did you find two other people to take his spot?”

He nodded. “Yeah, Marcia and Carlos said they’d join. They saw him walk in with her and were _happy_ to fill our table.”

“Oh shit,” Mina mumbled, “he’s coming over here.”

They all instantly turned and glared in his direction, and he took the hint. _Do not approach._ He turned and walked in the opposite direction. “Mina, let’s go dance,” Mac said, setting her glass on the table.

She allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor and she rested her hand on his shoulder. They swayed with the music, but she just focused on a spot on his chest. He held her close. “I can’t stay here,” she mumbled to him, “I need to get out of here. I can’t watch him with her.”

He sighed and glanced back to their table. He gave them a sorrowful look and shook his head at them. Amelia burned with rage and stormed over to Javi. He was standing next to the bar waiting for his and Lorraine’s drinks when she slugged his shoulder. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she snapped.

Javi rubbed his shoulder and glared at her. “I told her I would explain everything,” he replied.

Amelia rolled her eyes. “You’re not getting anywhere near her. So start explaining.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I know this looks bad, Amelia.”

“No shit it looks bad. You showed up to our graduation with your _ex-girlfriend._ ”

He rubbed the back of his head. “She called last week and told me she bought a ticket to come here. She wanted to work things out and support my career choice. I just haven’t had the chance to tell her it’s over for good.”

“Does she know about Mina?” Amelia asked, seething with anger and crossing her arms.

His eyes fell to the floor in regret. “No.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Fuck you, Javier. Stay away from Mina, or so help me and the rest of them over there, we will put you in an early grave.”

“Amelia…” he pleaded.

“No. Take whatever piss poor apology you were going to give her and go fuck yourself with it,” she seethed, “I hope Lorraine finds out and sees what a lying piece of shit you are.”

She spun on her heel and walked back to the table. Mina and Mac rejoined them; she had another drink in her hand. “I’ve agreed to stay for the graduate recognition, but then I am leaving. Mac is taking me home.”

Amelia smiled. “Perfect. He should watch you leave here with another man. Fuck him.”

Mina looked up at her, hurt. “I still love him, Amelia,” she pleaded.

“He’s here with another woman,” she spat, “Fuck him, Mina.”

She finished her drink and looked over at the bar. He was still standing there alone. With liquid courage coursing through her veins, she ignored the pleas of her friends and marched over. His back was turned to her as he leaned against the bar, still waiting on his drinks. “You have exactly ten seconds to tell me what the fuck is going on,” she ordered.

He felt his heart race as he slowly turned around. “Mina,” he felt a lump form in his throat, “I-I…”

Lorraine came up from the other side and tossed her arm around his shoulder, kissing his cheek. “Still waiting for our drinks?” she smiled. She was a beautiful blonde woman with the whitest teeth Mina had ever seen. She was tall, slender, and picture perfect; especially with her sweet, Texan accent. Mina’s heart wrenched as she gazed at her in her sleek, deep blue dress. She glanced at Mina with the same smile. “Oh, hello!” She held her hand out. “Are you a classmate of Javi’s?”

Mina smiled and tried to keep the floodgates up. “I-” she cleared her suddenly dry throat, “I am. My name’s Jasmina, but my friends call me Mina.”

“Oh, _you’re_ Mina!” She exclaimed. “Javi’s told me so much about you. He said you’re basically his work wife,” she chuckled. Mina shot him a glare before looking back at the woman in front of her. “I’m Lorraine. Javi’s fiancée.”

Javi closed his eyes in pain as Mina’s eyebrows shot sky high. “ _Fiancée_?” Her voice cracked.

She nodded. “We were on a break for a little while, postponing the wedding so Javi could finish school, but now that he’s graduated and moving back home…” she held his hand in hers and beamed.

Mina shook her head and spun around to leave. “It was nice to meet you!” she shouted over her shoulder.

“Mina!” Javi called after her.

“Fuck you, Javier!” she exclaimed, drawing the attention of several tables near them.

“Mina, wait!” 

She could hear him running after her, but when she reached her table Mac, Tom, and now Carlos stopped him. “Get out of the way,” he growled as Amelia grabbed her things and followed her into the bathroom. 

Mac folded his arms. “Leave her alone, Jav,” he asserted.

He begged Mac, looking him in the eyes and pleading with him. “I need to explain it to her,” he croaked, “please.”

Mac glanced at Tom, and then looked at the beautiful woman behind him. “I think you need to explain it to your date first.”

Javier turned around and saw Lorraine looking equally confused and hurt standing only a few feet behind him. He looked back at Tom and Mac before sighing and joining Lorraine again. As the night went on, Mina would sneak glances in Javi and Lorraine’s direction, and occasionally he would catch her and give her an apologetic look. Mina’s skin crawled with the thought of him being in the same room as her. She couldn’t believe she let herself fall for something like him. She should have seen something like this coming from a mile away. _Why did I let myself get so attached to an asshole?_ A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. Mac leaned over with his kerchief and wiped it away for her. Amelia held her hand for support as they suffered through dinner and the graduate recognitions. After that, the celebration was in full swing, and just as Mac promised he took her home. Javi watched her leave, longing to run after her, but first he needed to deal with Lorraine. He was furious, but was hiding it very well through the whole night.

He was quiet as they walked back to his apartment, while she clung to his side. All he could see was the look on her face, the pain and heartbreak he’d caused. Lorraine quietly followed him into his apartment and sat down on his couch. “Are you going to talk?” she asked, “Or are you just going to ignore the fact that she made a scene tonight?”

He turned and glanced at her. “Why did you tell her you were my fiancée?”

She frowned. “I am, Javi,” she replied, crossing her arms. 

“Lorraine,” he sighed, running his hands down his face, “I ended things before I left. You gave me the choice: you or the DEA.”

“And I told you I was willing to work on our relationship, so long as you stayed in Texas.”

He groaned. “That’s it, Lorraine, I don’t want to stay in Texas! There’s nothing there for me.”

“I’m there.” She meekly replied. Her voice suddenly sounded so small.

He sighed and shook his head. “I wish I could tell you that was enough.”

She glared at him. “Who is Mina to you, then? She seemed awfully surprised that I even existed.”

“Lorraine, we’re over, that’s none of your business. I tried to tell you that before you bought your ticket.”

“Then, why did you even bring me tonight?” she asked.

He sighed and leaned against the chair adjacent to her. “I’m not an asshole,” he defended, “I wasn’t going to make you sit here while I was out with Mina all night.”

She stood up to get at eye level with him. “So, instead you let her suffer all night?”

He slumped down into the chair. “I didn’t know how to explain it to her without her getting upset. Her friends didn’t help, filling her head with God knows what, and then _you_ decided to jump in and tell her we were still engaged!”

“I thought I finally had the love of my life back,” she pleaded, “I love you, Javi. I have for my entire life.”

He glanced up at her and held her hand, shaking his head. “I loved you, Lorraine, and I’ll always appreciate our time together. But I’ve moved on. I’ve found someone else, and I’m afraid if I don’t go after her right now, I’ll lose her forever.”

She felt a tear escape down her cheek. “So, it’s really over?”

He nodded. “I love her,” he replied, “and she thinks I used her. I have to fix it. I’m sorry for everything.”

***

She was tossing her suitcase into the trunk of the cab when she heard him frantically call her name. She looked at the cabbie apologetically. “I’m sorry,” she said, “this shouldn’t be long.”

She stood next to the open back door and leaned against the car. Javi was sprinting towards her. “Mina,” he breathlessly said, “where are you going?”

“On assignment,” she coldly replied, “I called in and asked for an early deployment.”

He frowned at her. “We need to talk.”

She shook her head and put one foot in the car. “No,” she said, “I completely understand. I hope the two of you have a happy life together.”

“Mina, you don’t understand, though. It’s over. I ended things with her. I fucked up, but I’m here to fix it all. I’ll do whatever you want. I want to make this right with us.”

“Oh no,” she snapped, “I am _not_ about to be the reason you decided to end things because you have commitment issues.”

“Commitment issues? Seriously?” He knit his eyebrows together.

“I knew it from the start, Javier, and should have honestly seen this coming,” she laughed and shook her head, “and to think I was going to tell you that I’ve been in love with you since the first day we met.”

“Mina…” he begged, “I love you, though.”

“Goodbye, Peña,” she said, sliding into the cab, “Go back to Lorraine.”

“Don’t leave like this, Mina.”

She closed the door and looked ahead; the window still rolled down. “Good luck on assignment,” she added, “but never reach out to me again. I never want to hear your voice or see your face again.”

He balled his fists up in his hair as he watched her cab drive away. He was such an idiot. He let the one woman he couldn’t live without go. She was out of his life forever, and he knew there was no way he’d ever get her back. No matter how much he wished he could redo this entire night, he knew nothing would make it better. “Fuck!” he exclaimed into the empty street, praying she’d turn back around and give him another chance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twelve years have passed since that fateful night. Mina’s transfer request has been approved, and now she’s on her way to Colombia to meet with her unknown partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Sexual Innuendos

> _“Thought it was a nightmare  
>  Lord it was so true  
> They told me don’t go walking slow  
> The devil’s on the loose” - [Run Through the Jungle by Creedence Clearwater Revival](https://href.li/?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbI0cMyyw_M&ab_channel=masterofacdcsuckaS)_

How she got the job, she’d never know. Jasmina Rivera had been given some of the shittiest assignments in the last 12 years at the DEA. Her first was in the middle of nowhere New Mexico chasing pill poppers and meth addicts. Then, she was moved to Laredo. There wasn’t much action there, especially when the Mexican Cartels had paid off most of the officials at the border. Her life and career had come to a standstill, that was until she was assigned to Guadalajara shortly after the gruesome death of Kiki Camarena. She was anxious to get down there and make a difference, bring justice to Kiki’s murderers. Much to her dismay, Mexico was so corrupt that every chance she had to bring them down only ended in frustration; especially with the disbanding of Operation Leyenda. Now, she was on a flight, headed to Colombia to hunt for the notorious Pablo Escobar. She saw there was an opening for a DEA Agent down there, and she’d put in for a transfer. She knew the government corruption would be an issue everywhere she went, but at least this time she wouldn’t have to follow any damn rules. From the stories she heard, DEA Agents lived by their own code. 

Mina had no idea who her new partner was going to be. The only information the Agency gave her was an address for her apartment and when to report to the Embassy. The taxi screeched to a halt just outside a rundown apartment complex that was about a thirty minute drive from the Embassy. She had what little belongings she owned shipped to the complex ahead of time, and just as she expected, the few boxes were waiting for her on the ground floor. They lined the wall between her door and another apartment. Thank god her neighbor was a decent person and left her things alone. She set down her bags next to a large box and dug for her keys in her purse. “Shit,” she mumbled, as she looked for them.

“Do you need help?” a woman’s voice called from behind her.

She turned and saw a tall, blonde woman make her way back down the stairs with grocery bags in her hands. “Oh, no,” Mina replied in her polite, typical midwestern voice. She returned to digging in her purse before looking back at the woman again. “American?”

She smiled and nodded. “I’m Connie. My husband Steve and I live on the second floor. We moved in two days ago, actually.”

“I’m Jasmina,” she replied, “but everyone calls me Mina.”

“Welcome to the building, Mina,” she beamed, “if you need anything, just holler. Javi, your neighbor is also American. So, you’re surrounded by friendly faces. They both should be home soon.”

Mina’s blood ran cold for a second. The name was almost a trigger for her, but she knew that the Javi she knew and this Javi were not one in the same. The likelihood of her living next to the bane of her existence after twelve years were slim to none. “Thanks, Connie,” she grinned again. She found her keys stuck to her wallet and passport fold. “I’m going to get settled, but it was nice meeting you.”

“See you around!” Connie disappeared up the staircase as Mina walked into her simple, but perfect Colombian apartment.

She moved all of her boxes into the apartment and glanced around. The Embassy was kind enough to furnish it with cheap furniture: a small couch, a coffee table, a dining set, and a bed. At least they were giving her the day to get comfortable before she needed to report in. Luckily she didn’t have much here to unpack. She’d lived a pretty meager life since moving from New Mexico to Laredo to Guadalajara and, now, to Colombia. Mina spent most of her time folding her clothes and putting them away before picking out an outfit for tomorrow. She hung it up in her bathroom, running the shower to help get the wrinkles out. She hopped in, as to not waste the water, and washed off the grime from traveling all day. 

> _“Javi, your neighbor is also American. So, you’re surrounded by friendly faces,” Connie had said._

She shivered as the warm water ran down her body. It didn’t matter what kind of person had that name, Javier still made her skin crawl. It’d been twelve years, and she still hated him. He made her feel like a fool, and the looks her friends gave her that night made her feel even worse. Never again did she want to be pitied. _Fucking asshole_ , she thought. She turned the shower off and wrapped herself in a towel before walking into her bedroom to put on more comfortable clothes. She could tell, even with her blinds drawn, that it was night time. She sighed and tossed the towel towards the hamper, missing. _I’ll pick it up in the morning._

Crawling into bed, she reflected on her time with Javier. It was a habit of hers anytime she was reminded of him. She could still picture the last time they were together, only a few short days before that fateful night. He’d taken her to her favorite restaurant to celebrate their graduation. It was just the two of them, and it was a perfect evening. He’d worn the cologne she’d gotten him for Christmas; the smell of it still lingered in her memory: Mahogany and Teakwood with just a subtle hint of Lavender. Even now, as she sat in bed, she could smell it as if it were coming in through the open window. The nostalgia was what wore on her. She missed those days that were utterly perfect; the happy memories they shared. It didn’t matter how many partners she’d had, he was always her one. He would forever be her one that got away; the one who shattered her heart and taught her some of the toughest lessons about love.

Taking a deep breath, she leaned over and turned out the lamp. She stared up at the ceiling, trying to wish the thoughts away. She rolled over on her side and closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to a comfortable sleep in the sticky, Colombian heat. It was so different from the dry heat of Mexico, but she welcomed the change. She was excited for this new chapter in her life. She’d been in Colombia for sixteen hours and the Magical Realism had already captured her. There was something in the air down here that made her believe anything could happen. Something told her that her life was going to change forever on this assignment, and she couldn’t have felt more ready. 

Mina could feel herself falling when soft moans began seeping through the thin walls. Her eyes flew open and she groaned. “Seriously,” she mumbled to herself. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. “It’s 11:30 at night.” The moans and cries grew louder. She could hear the muffled strains of a woman calling out her neighbor’s name. Mina rolled her eyes and grabbed the pillow next to her, holding it over her ears. “You’ve got to be _fucking_ kidding me.” She watched the minutes pass by on the clock, praying this was not going to be a nightly occurrence for her neighbor, _Javier_.

***

She woke up the next morning completely exhausted thanks to her neighbor’s late night escapade. She pulled on a tight pencil skirt and white blouse for her first day on the job. She was going to the Embassy to meet her partner and she wanted to make a good impression. The apartment next door was still silent when she left and she just chuckled to herself. He was _obviously_ up late the night before. She walked by and left the building. She took the keys that were left for her on the counter to find her vehicle the Embassy so courteously delivered for her upon her arrival. 

When she pulled into the parking lot, she was instantly taken to security to get her access badge and fill out the extra paperwork needed before she was shown to her desk. She saw a couple of C.I.A. douches walking around the office, snooping through papers and files that she was certain weren’t meant for them. Never, in the entirety of her time as a DEA Agent had the agencies ever gotten along, and it wasn’t about to start now. Frowning, she moved from her desk to stop them. “Excuse me,” she cleared her throat, “do you need help?”

The man with the grey mustache looked up at her with a fake smile. “No, ma’am, I’m just waiting for these useless agents to get here.”

She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I might be new here, but my partner’s files are _my_ files. Back the fuck off.”

His eyebrows shot into his hairline. “Partner?”

She kept the grimace on her face. “Yes. Partner.”

“I thought he already got a new partner yesterday,” he replied.

Mina shifted her weight to her left foot, keeping her arms crossed. “I arrived yesterday. Today’s my first official day.”

The man shook his head. “No. I’m talking about Agent Murphy. He arrived yesterday.”

She tried to keep her confusion hidden from him. “The Agency sent two of us.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “I guess they figured Peña was doing a shit job and needed two babysitters.”

Her eyes widened in horror. “Peña? As in J-javier Peña?” She heard a familiar voice carrying down the hallway as he flirted with every skirt in the office on his way back to his desk. She felt all of the color drain from her face as she glanced behind the CIA agent in front of her.

He laughed even more. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She shot a deadly glare at him. “Tell me that man is _not_ Javier Peña,” she demanded.

“I take it you’ve met him before,” he said, relaxing against the desk and waiting for the scene that was about to unfold.

His voice was growing closer, and now he was talking to another man - clearly this _Agent Murphy_ previously mentioned. “My wife says she’s really beautiful and she wants to have her over for dinner. I’m supposed to bring you,” the voice said, as they rounded the corner and stepped into the office, “she probably wants to play matchmaker.”

Mina’s heart stopped when she saw her worst nightmare frozen in the doorway, staring at her through those dark brown eyes she used to love. There was no other exit in the office for her to escape through, unless she climbed out of the window. He hadn’t changed at all, except a few more worry lines on his face. He was still as handsome as ever, but her anger and pain still fueled her hatred for him - despite how _fucking fantastic_ he looked. “Oh shit,” she heard him mumble.

The blonde man standing with him was looking between the two of them, trying to figure out why the office tension had increased tenfold and grown suddenly silent; even the others in the room were aware of the sudden change in atmosphere. The man with Javier cleared his throat and stepped forward with his hand extended. “I’m Steve Murphy,” he said, “and this is my partner, Javier Peña.”

Mina turned her gaze towards him and shook her hand. “Jasmina Rivera,” she cooly replied.

Javier’s knees almost buckled. She had the sexiest, most sultry voice he’d ever heard. Even after all these years, it was still just arousing as ever. She noticed his slight swoon, but ignored him. “I think the transfer papers must have been mixed up,” she said, “I heard you just arrived, too.”

He nodded. “Yes, but the Ambassador told me she allowed the second transfer down here. Apparently Peña needs all the help he can get.”

“I knew it!” The CIA agent exclaimed, clapping his hands.

“Fuck off, Owen,” Javier managed to say.

Mina gave Javier a death glare, almost saying she was offended at him for even opening his mouth. Something told her he was, in fact, the American named Javi that lived next door to her. Which meant he was up late the night before fucking some random woman. The situation kept going from bad to worse as Murphy continued to look between them. “Something tells me the two of you know each other,” he anxiously laughed.

“It’s been a while,” Javi replied, “twelve years and four months, to be exact.”

She squinted her eyes. “Not long enough.”

He gave her a nervous smile. “It’s good to see you too, Querida.”

She seethed at him. “Llámame así de nuevo y te dispararé donde estás,” she growled. 

Javier’s smile disappeared and he glanced over to Steve who had grown concerned. Agent Owen, however, was loving this. He sat there with a grin spread across his face as he realized Peña had finally met his match. “Can you-” Javi rubbed the back of his neck and glanced between Murphy and Owen, “can the two of you give us a minute?”

She crossed her arms and shot daggers in his direction. “No,” she said, “it’s fine. I’ll leave. I need to speak with the Ambassador anyway.”

“Mina,” Javi pleaded, as she tried to storm past him. He stood defiantly in the doorway, refusing to let her pass. “I’m not letting you go like that this time.”

Her eyes burned through him. “Either you let me by or my knee is about to reacquaint itself with a very intimate part of your anatomy,” she said between her teeth.

Steve covered his mouth to hide his laugh as he looked around the office to distract himself. “Do it then,” Javi replied, “it can’t be any worse than what you’ve already done to me.”

“Ha!” she loudly laughed. “What I’ve done to _you_? You really want to go there right now in the middle of the office?”

Javier looked around at the suddenly invested crowd. No, he didn’t want to air his dirty laundry in front of everyone, but he knew if he let her march down to the Ambassador, she’d be granted a transfer request. “Mina, _please_ don’t ask for a transfer. We really need the help down here, and you’re one of the best the Agency’s got.”

She felt a twinge in her heart as she shoved past him and out of the office. He watched her all but run down the hallway onto the elevator. When she disappeared behind those metal doors, he let his breath out and turned around to find an office that quickly busied itself with anything else. He growled and walked straight to his desk, grabbing a glass and bottle of scotch out of the bottom drawer. “Fuck,” he mumbled as he poured a glass. 

Murphy sat on the corner of his desk and looked at his new partner with sympathy. “This will be fun,” he chuckled.

He finished the glass and glared at him. “For you,” Peña replied.

“Why does she hate you?” Agent Owen asked, approaching him.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Murphy glanced at Owen. “Don’t you have someone else to bother? Fuck off, Owen.”

He shook his head, figuring what he wanted to pester them about could wait until later. Steve turned his attention back to Javi, who looked more distraught than anything. “What happened?”

He didn’t move or acknowledge him. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, taking another shot before standing up and fixing his tie. “We need to talk with the Ambassador. I learned a lot last night.” 

Steve chuckled. “Again, this is going to be so much fun.”

Javi glared at him before walking out of the office. Never, in a million years, would he have guessed Mina would be back in his life. Occasionally she would come across his mind; well, more like every night before he fell asleep. He kicked himself every day for being the piece of shit that he was all those years ago. If he would have been honest with her from the beginning, then, maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess. Honestly, if she did get a transfer, it was probably for the best. They would be nothing but distracted if they continued to work together. 

***

Mina angrily wiped the few tears that fell down her face as she leaned against her Jeep. _I can’t believe I’m shedding more tears over this asshole._ She thought. _Fuck him._ She took several deep breaths before looking for her cellphone the Embassy had given her. She didn’t care about the international charges. They could take it out of her paycheck. She needed to talk to _someone_. She dialed the number and prayed she wasn’t busy. “Come on,” she mumbled, “Pick up.”

“Meyer,” she said into the phone.

“Amelia,” Mina breathed, “I’m so glad you answered.”

“Hey!” She sang. “How’s Colombia?”

She could feel her hands start to shake, finding it hard to even say the words. “Amelia,” she repeated.  
  


Amelia grew silent on the other end of the line. If it weren’t for the soft breaths, Mina would have thought she lost signal. “No,” she said, “don’t tell me.”

“What did I do to piss off the universe?” she cried into the mouthpiece. 

“They didn’t tell you who your partner was when you transfered?”

Mina shook her head, as if Amelia could see her. “No,” she added, “they said there was some confusion with the paperwork and that I’d just have to meet my partner at the Embassy.”

“Holy shit,” she replied, “what are the odds? Do you think this is a sign?”

She frowned. “A sign? For what, Amelia?”

“I don’t know,” he voice cracked, “You never got any closure. Maybe this is your chance. You always said he was the one that got away!”

Mina huffed. “I couldn’t give a shit about closure if I wanted to.”

Amelia laughed. “Oh yeah? Then why are you calling me mid-breakdown?”

She didn’t have an answer. In fact, she was offended at the audacity Amelia had to find the silver lining in this situation. 

“You know I’m right,” she let out a deep breath, “look, just make the best of it for now. If you still want to shoot him in a week or two, transfer here. We have an opening.”

Mina leaned back against her Jeep, again, and glared at the heavens. She cursed them for having done this to her. This clearly was a sign that God wanted to punish her for some unknown sin she’d committed, and no other penance was good enough. She didn’t want to make it work here, but she absolutely refused to transfer back to New Mexico. She wasn’t happy in the States, which was why she moved to Guadalajara in the first place. She felt that she needed more - she needed to do more in order to feel like she was making a difference in this losing battle. “I’ll call you later tonight,” she mumbled.

“There we go!” Amelia exclaimed. She could tell her best friend was smiling. “But don’t worry. I’m going to give his office a ring and make the appropriate threats.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Love you, Mia.”

“Love you, Mina.”

She hung up the phone and took a deep breath before returning to the building. She walked back into her office, pleased to see that both Steve and Javier had left. She grabbed the stack of files that were on her desk and began thumbing through them. There were dossiers on several of the big players down in Colombia, though they were small. It was clear they didn’t have much. She smiled to herself and intended to fix that. One of her contacts she made in Guadalajara had connections down here. Surely she could squeeze him for more. 

Mina felt herself relaxing a little more as she got lost in the files. It wasn’t until someone cleared their throat did she look up. Steve was standing between her and Javi with his hands in his pockets. “We are headed to Medellín this afternoon,” he said, “are you coming with?”

She shot her glance over to Javi before looking back at Steve. Just as she was about to answer a secretary behind them called, “Javi, there’s a call for you on line one.”

He rolled his eyes and begrudgingly walked to his desk that was opposite of her. “Peña,” he grumbled into the phone.

“Glad I caught you,” she could hear Amelia’s voice on the other end. “If she so much as gets a hangnail on your watch, I will be on the first flight down there. 

He sighed and glared at Mina. “She’s obviously already told you, _Amelia_ ,” he stressed her name, causing Mina to laugh. “Do you really think I’m happy about this arrangement?”

“Do you think I care? I’m just warning you. You’ve put her through enough, Javier.”

He took a deep, frustrated breath. “I’m aware.”

“Is that Peña?” he heard a familiar voice call from behind her.

“Tell Mac I said hi,” he said before hanging up. 

Javi glared at Mina, who was perched proudly on her chair, waiting for a snide remark. “You called Amelia?”

She crossed her arms and leaned back with a smile. “To answer your question, Steve,” she replied, ignoring Javi, “I have a few meetings with the Ambassador today and some orientation things to go through. I’ll catch the next raid.” Steve nodded and glanced over to Javi. “Besides, it’ll give you a chance to grill him about this,” she indicated the space between the two of them that was filled with twelve years of unresolved tension.

Javi grimaced at her and then glanced at Steve. “Let’s get out of here,” he mumbled, “and grab your camera.”

***

He leaned against the plane window, his hands fidgeting in his lap. Steve occasionally looked over at him, trying to think of a way to break the silence. He’d only known his partner for a couple of days, but it was obvious he was troubled by Mina’s sudden appearance. “Go ahead and ask,” he muttered, “I see you watching me.”

Steve smirked and shook his head. “Look, I’m just worried this is going to cause problems. Are the two of you going to be able to work together?”

Javi shrugged. “That’s entirely up to her.”

Rolling his eyes, Steve turned to look at him. “It takes two, Peña,” he added, “why does she hate you so much?”

He sighed and glanced over at him. “We used to fuck.”

Steve kept his comments to himself. He had a feeling that it was more than just fucking. She was clearly hurt and still held onto a grudge from the last time they’d seen each other, but Steve wasn’t going to push it. He figured he’d learn more about their complicated past over the next few weeks, if Mina stuck around long enough. “Well,” he said, trying to change the subject, “Connie wants to have a little dinner party next week. She said the new girl in our building just moved in…” he paused, “yes-ter-day…” drawing out the word in time with his epiphany.

Javi glanced back over to him. “Is Mina our new neighbor? Does she live in the apartment next to me?” he demanded.

Steve avoided eye contact, hoping the name his wife gave him belonged to another Jasmina. “If she doesn’t, it’s a strange coincidence that your neighbor is also an American named Mina.”

He ran his hand over his face. “Fuck,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, you’re about to get it from both work and home,” he chuckled.

Javi shook his head. “No,” he said, “that’s not the problem. I had one of my informants over last night.”

Steve hissed in pain and then chuckled. “Those walls are _not_ thick either.”

“No shit, Murphy,” he replied.

He laughed, again, at Javi’s pain. On top of the daily shit he had to deal with on the job, his life just got increasingly more stressful with Mina as his new neighbor. “Maybe a dinner is a good idea,” he added, “it would be a neutral place the two of you could talk?”

Javi shot him another glance. “She’d rather chop off my balls,” he replied.

They sat in silence; the hum of the airplane engine’s filling the air. Javi’s mind continued to wander back to her. She looked _really_ good. Her long slender legs were situated in that tight skirt that highlighted her curves. He remembered the last time his hands were able to explore every dip and turn of her body. She had the perfect shape that fit into his hands so effortlessly. No other partner he had could compare to the way she moved against him. She was incredible. _No_ , he sighed, _she is incredible_. Despite the fact she wanted him dead, her sudden appearance made him feel something that he thought died that night she left. The woman he had loved all those years ago was still there behind the pain and anger that was boiling at the surface. He wished he could take it all back. 

*******

Mina walked up the stairs that led to the front door of her apartment complex when she heard a familiar voice approach from behind her. “Mina!” Connie exclaimed.

She turned and smiled. “Hi, Connie,” she said before opening the door to let her in. 

“My husband is out of town for the night,” she said, “would you like to join me for dinner?”

Mina gave her a smirk and closed the door behind her. “Your husband wouldn’t happen to be Steve Murphy, would he?” she asked.

Connie gazed at her, worried. “How do you…”

“I’m his and Peña’s new partner,” she said.

She beamed. “Oh! Steve said that there was another agent coming in today. Well, come on up and have a drink.”

“Let me change out of this, and then I’ll be right up!”

“See you in a bit.”

Mina quickly changed and grabbed the bottle of wine she had purchased on the drive home. She pulled her hair back into a bun and grabbed her house keys before heading upstairs. She lightly knocked on the door and was instantly met by the most picturesque woman she’d ever seen. She ushered her in and fixed them both a glass. “It’ll be nice to have another female voice in this building,” she chuckled, “it’s only been a few days and I’m missing that companionship.”

She nodded. “Oh, I understand. Working in a male dominated field? Huh. I don’t know how I’m going to survive between the two of them.”

Connie laughed. “I’ll keep Steve on that straight and narrow,” she added, “although I can’t say anything for Javi. Steve said he’s….”

Mina smirked and took a sip of her wine. “Difficult?”

She nodded. “Don’t say I told you.”

Mina chuckled. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Connie took another drink and relaxed in her chair. “So, what brought you down here?”

She shrugged. “I was ready for a change. I don’t have anything tying me down, so I figured I could easily uproot from Guadalajara and come down here for a bit.”

“No husband or boyfriend?” she asked, and then immediately redacted it. “I’m sorry. That was so invasive!”

Mina gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it, and no. It’s just me. I haven’t had time or energy really to find me one.”

Connie’s smirk widened, and Mina knew exactly what she was thinking. “You know, your other partner is extremely good looking,” she whispered.

Mina’s stomach dropped. The thought of ever being with Javi again was enough to make her heave, but she kept it together while she carefully responded to her remark. “I don’t date co-workers,” she cautiously replied.

“Bad experience?”

She chuckled, mostly to herself, and added, “you could say that. Let’s just say he fucked me over and lied to me. He had a fiancée I didn’t know about.”

Her eyebrows raised. “Oh shit. Hopefully that asshole is getting _exactly_ what he deserves.”

Mina smirked. “I’m sure karma will take great care of him.”

She was certain this bit of information would make it back to Javier Peña, and she didn’t give a shit. They both had their own separate lives, and he was _clearly_ getting his needs met by some other poor girl he was taking advantage of. Mina was at least up front with her partners; she wanted only one thing from them and was not about any long term, serious relationship. Luckily for her, most of the men she came across were completely fine with that. They all paled in comparison to Javier, though. No one was quite like him; she didn’t have that connection with them that they shared. That was one thing she missed, but she was not about to seek that intimacy ever again; not if there was the possibility of more pain again. Only one good thing had ever come out of that entire situation: she was hardened and stronger than the young naive woman she used to be, and it had saved her from even more heartache. However, she was not about to thank him for it, because ever since that day it always felt like there was part of her missing or a part of her that never fully healed. The wound he’d dealt her was so deep that she considered herself damaged. Forever. 

**Translations:**

  * _Querida - Sweetheart, Beloved_
  * _Llámame así de nuevo y te dispararé donde estás - Call me that again, and I’ll shoot you where you stand._




	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for their first stakeout together, and poor Steve isn’t prepared to handle it. Javier worries about Mina’s safety and is annoyed at how she gathers her intel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter! I loved all the feedback I’ve received on this. I hope you enjoy it! Spanish Translations will be at the bottom. I love you all and thank you for the overwhelming amount of support! Let me know what you think!!
> 
> Warnings: Language, Angst, Violence (Steve’s cat dies)

> _“I’m gonna find me  
>  _ _A hole in the wall  
>  _ _I’m gonna crawl inside and die  
>  _ _‘Cause my lady, now  
>  _ _A mean ol’ woman, Lord_  
>  _Never told me goodbye_  
>  _Can’t you see, ohh, can’t you see  
>  _ _What that woman, Lord, she been doin’ to me” -_ [ Can’t You See by The Marshall Tucker Band](https://href.li/?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-48Za7VZR_c&ab_channel=MarshallTuckerVEVO)

Mina was at the office bright and early the next morning with Murphy and Peña nowhere to be found. She chuckled and shook her head. It was obvious they were notorious for being late. The three of them were to have a meeting with the Ambassador today, and she was the _only one_ prepared for it; despite the fact that she was exhausted. She yawned and stretched in her chair as she finished flipping through the last of the files to bring her up to speed. Mina didn’t sleep well last night, as she had dreams that kept her up late. One of them being about the last time she’d seen Javier. 

She remembered how it destroyed her to leave him there on that sidewalk, but she couldn’t stay with him. If they remained together, she would forever have the guilt haunting the back of her mind that she caused his relationship with Lorraine to end. Thanks to that fateful night, though, Mina learned a tough lesson, one that she carried with her into every future relationship: get out _before_ she got hurt. However, as fun as she was having with her flings and one night stands, she couldn’t help but feel like she was missing something in her life. She prided herself on her independence, and she certainly didn’t need a man in her life. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want one. She was almost 35 years old and lonely. The night Javier broke her heart was the night he ruined her for good. She’d never trust another man to get that close to her again, and therefore, doomed her to a lonely, empty life.

She heard their voices echoing down the hallway, which brought her out of her trance. Mina shook her head and gazed at the door, waiting to see her arch nemesis and greatest love walk through with innocent Steve. She watched him freeze in the doorway, his gaze turning from terrified to almost relief when he saw her. She used to be able to read him like a book, but that was twelve years ago. Now, he was a stranger to her. Steve took the desk opposite Javier’s and propped his feet up. “Good morning, Mina,” he said with a grin as he looked between the two. He noticed that Javi’s gaze would soften the longer he looked at her, but she was as cold as stone in her glares. 

“Good morning, Steve,” she replied, not taking her daggering stare off Javier, “how was Medellín?”

“Learned a lot, actually,” he said, trying to draw her attention away from their other partner. She nodded and slowly turned her head to face him. She gave him a warm smile, almost like this Mina and the one that hated Javier were two different people, which terrified Steve. “I’m sure after our meeting with the Ambassador we’ll have another mission to run today. Which would be great if you joined us.”

She shot a quick glare back at Javier before replying to Steve. “Sounds great.” She glanced down at her watch. “However, we are late for our meeting. It started five minutes ago.”

“Shit,” Steve mumbled, “why didn’t you start without us?”

She grinned and stood up, fixing her white blouse that was loosely tucked into her pants. “One thing you’ll learn about me, Murphy, is that I believe we’re in this together. If one of us is late, we’re all late. We’re partners.”

Steve smiled at her and led them out of the room. Javi grabbed her arm as she started to walk by and instantly felt her tense under his touch. “Did you tell the Ambassador?” he whispered.

Mina gazed down at his hand on her arm before looking up into his big, brown eyes. “I’m a professional, Javier. I can still hate you and do my job. The Ambassador doesn’t need to know about all the mistakes I’ve made.”

Her comment was harsh and cold, paining him a little. “Mistake?” he muttered.

“Let go of me,” she replied through her teeth. 

She ripped her arm away from him and followed after Steve towards their meeting. Javier waited a few seconds, ignoring the new pain in his chest before following. As much as he didn’t want her to transfer, he started to think maybe working with her wasn’t the best idea. He caught up to them standing outside of the Ambassador’s office, waiting for him. Rolling her eyes at his sluggishness, Mina opened the door and walked in. Noonan smiled at Mina as she took a seat. “I see they haven’t scared you off,” she said.

“I don’t scare easily, Ambassador,” Mina chuckled.

Noonan glanced between Javier and Steve before looking back to Mina. “It’ll do them some good to have brains on their team.”

Both of them frowned, almost insulted, but then they shrugged, realizing the Ambassador was probably speaking the truth. “I called your references like you asked,” she continued, “and they said that you were the best they had and I’d be crazy to let you transfer anywhere.”

Javier felt that same sting in his chest, again. She really couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Noonan noticed a change in him and called him out. “What’s wrong there, Peña?”

His eyes grew wide as he glanced at Steve, who just shrugged. Mina refused to turn and look at him, which only made the situation look worse in his eyes. “I-I’m sorry, Ambassador. It was a long night last night, and I didn’t get much sleep.”

She nodded. “I read your report. I’ll see what we can do for your contact, but getting her a Visa isn’t that simple.” He straightened his posture and didn’t reply. “Now,” she continued, “what’s the plan? I can’t sanction anything against this cartel, since our resources are being funneled to the CIA to fight against M-19.”

“That’s bullshit,” Javi replied, taking the seat next to Mina, “we have proof that the biggest players are forming one of the largest organized cartels outside of Guadalajara.”

“I’m aware, but unless you can prove they have involvement with M-19, I cannot help you.”

He growled and buried his hands in his face. If that was true, then Helena’s sacrifice was for nothing. But, like a savior from above, Mina spoke up. “I did some digging late last night,” she cooly added.

He dropped his hands and gazed at her, waiting for her to finish.

She glanced at Javi before looking at Noonan with a small smile. “We all know that they came together because of what happened to the Ochoas’ sister. Since M-19 is the one who took her, we can assume there’s going to be an all out war between the two groups. If we can convince the CIA to ‘team up’ with the cartel, we might be able to get some of their people to step out into the light, give us some information to catch these guys.”

The room was silent for a moment while Noonan considered her idea; Steve stared at her impressed; and Javi gazed at her with the biggest grin on his face. “You’re brilliant,” he breathed.

Steve closed his eyes and shook his head at the puppy dog gaze he was giving her. _Idiot_ , he thought. She glared at him through the corner of her eye before turning her attention back to the Ambassador. Noonan was nodding before she said, “this plan could work, but you’ll need proof they’re going to start a war.”

Mina sat straighter at the edge of her seat. “I heard Poison is still in town and will be meeting with several members of his crew today to discuss Pablo’s plan. They believe M-19 is in Bogotá planning something.”

Noonan leaned back in her chair and glared at Peña and Murphy. “She’s been here for a day and already has more information than the two of you _combined_.”

“Ambassador…”Steve started, but then decided to stop.

Mina cleared her throat and inserted, “If it wasn’t for the detailed files they left for me, I wouldn’t have known where to look. I owe them for the intel.”

Noonan chuckled. “I respect your humility,” she added, “Get the proof and then we’ll talk with the CIA.”

Mina stood up. “Thank you, Ambassador.”

She spun and walked out of the room with Steve, Javi following close behind. They started walking to the elevator talking about a plan, almost forgetting he was with them. “That was amazing in there,” Steve said.

“Thanks,” Mina replied, her face burning with a little embarrassment.

“Where are we going now?” Javier asked.

She glanced at him, this time with little contempt, and decided to put her feelings aside for the good of the mission. “I have an address for a safe house in downtown that could possibly be where they’re meeting,” she responded.

Her civil response gave Javier hope that they could work together without starting World War 3. “I’ll drive,” he offered.

Steve hopped into the back of the Jeep, leaving Mina and Javi in the front together. She took a deep breath, glaring at her other partner before taking a seat next to Javier, who grinned at her as she buckled herself. “Don’t get too excited there, Javier. _Steve_ left me no choice.”

“Can’t I just smile at you to be pleasant?” he mumbled as he pulled out onto the main road.

“You? No. Your smiles always had deeper meanings,” she replied, as she unfolded a piece of paper, “and they all screamed trouble.”

He sighed and shook his head. “There’ll be no winning with you.”

“Did you _ever_ win?” she asked as she handed him the address. “Here.”

He glanced down at it and then back at the road. “Where did you get this information?”

She leaned back in her seat and gazed out the window, watching Bogotá flash by them. “I called an old friend after I finished going through the files you guys just left all over your desks.”

Mina glanced back at Steve with an accusatory look before turning back to face out her window again. “Who was this ‘old friend’?” Javier asked.

“No one you know.”

“How did you meet this person?”

“Through work.”

“Can you trust them?”

“More than I trust you.” She grinned at him and crossed her arms.

Javi huffed and shook his head. “Real mature, Mina.”

“You’re one to talk,” she replied in a dry tone.

He gripped the steering wheel tighter as he slammed the blinker on and pulled off to the side of the street just a ways from the building they were to stakeout. “I’m just trying to get a feel for how reliable this information is,” he said through his teeth.

She let out an annoyed breath and pursed her lips. “I don’t ask you about how you get your information, so show me the same courtesy.”

“That’s different,” Javi replied, glaring at her.

She had a small smile crawl across her lips as she crossed her arms. “Is it, though?”

He felt a sudden pang of jealousy in his chest as Steve tried miserably to stifle his laughter in the back seat. In fact, he just covered it up with a poor excuse of a cough and appeared to look out the window when Javier turned to glare at him. “Yeah,” he argued, “it is. Men down here are dangerous.”

“I can handle myself,” she huffed, “I’m not your responsibility, Peña.”

He glared at her. “You’re my _partner_.”

“Exactly. Not your responsibility. If I have to trust you,” she choked back a laugh, “then you have to trust me.”

He grumbled under his breath. “And you trust this contact more than me?”

“It’s not hard to trust anyone more than you,” she replied with a stinging glare.

Steve groaned from the backseat, obviously trying to prevent their arguing. They both continued to ignore him. “Mina, I tried to tell you I was sorry _multiple_ times.”

“Ha!” she laughed. “I got your messages, and I never read a single one. I told you to never contact me again, if you remember.”

“Oh, I remember,” he growled, “I also remember you running away and not giving me a chance to explain everything.”

“Guys,” Steve said pointing at the building they were watching.

“What was there to explain, Javier? You played me,” Mina argued.

“Guys,” his voice getting louder.

“ _Played_ you? I asked you to trust me before we even walked in, and I told you I would explain everything. I had always been completely honest with you! It wasn’t until Mia found you did everything go to shit!” Javier exclaimed.

“Don’t you _dare_ drag her into this,” she roared.

“Knock it off!” Steve yelled. “We are here to do a job, and that job is walking out of _that_ building.” He leaned between their seats and pointed.

Javier and Mina forgot their argument as they turned to see Poison and Lizard walking out of a building with a group of men. They all hopped into two vehicles. Javi slowly pulled out onto the road and followed them from a safe distance. “Don’t get too close,” Mina mumbled, “we don’t want to spook them.”

“I know what I’m doing,” he growled at her between his teeth.

“Do you? Because you’re awfully close,” she argued.

“Do you want to do this?”

“Do not pull over,” Steve ordered, “both of you just shut the fuck up, and Javi, drive.”

Silence overcame the car as Javi focused on following their targets. They twisted and turned down various streets before they stopped outside a rundown house. Javi parked a ways back as they continued to survey the situation. Pablo’s men hopped out of the car and broke off into smaller groups, surrounding the building. “Shit,” Javi mumbled, “we don’t have back up.”

Mina made sure her gun was loaded just in case things went south. They heard several shots as the windows lit up with gunfire. Lizard walked out of the building with a man whose hands were tied behind his back. “Holy shit,” Mina gasped, “is that Ivan the Terrible?”

“Oh fuck,” Javi added, leaning forward.

Poison walked out and placed a bag over his head before they threw him into the back seat of their car. “What do we do?” Mina replied, glancing at Javi.

“We can’t do anything,” Steve conjectured, “we are too outnumbered.”

She nodded and agreed. “Be should just report back to Noonan what we saw.” 

Javi groaned, wanting nothing more than to run down these motherfuckers. But, Mina was right. They needed to report back to Noonan and try working on the plan she concocted. Javi waited for them to drive off before turning around and heading back to the Embassy. Steve and Javi followed Mina into the Ambassador’s office, where the two CIA Agents were meeting with her. They turned to glare at her. “If it isn’t Peña’s newest babysitter,” Owen said.

“Fuck off, Owen,” she spat, “Ambassador, we have our proof.”

She silenced Owen and his partner to let Mina continue speaking. “What do you mean?”

“Poison and a group of Escobar’s men just kidnapped Ivan Ospina,” Javi added.

The Agents in front of her gave her their full attention. “Escobar is after M-19?” Owen asked.

She nodded. “Which means you’ll be working with-”

“Ambassador, we are going to need access to all of their files on Escobar and the Medellín Cartel.”

The three of them frowned. “Now, wait a second.”

“Shut it, Peña. M-19 takes priority over your operation.” He grinned at them. “So, your files, contacts, everything are ours until this is resolved.”

Mina shook her head. “My contacts will remain just that: _my_ contacts. You can take your superiority complex and go fuck yourself.” The Ambassador looked at her surprised. “Sorry for the crude language, Ambassador. Javi and Steve have worked hard to get this information, and they’re not laying a hand on my contact. We work together or not at all.”

The agents laughed at both of them, and Owen turned to Javi. “You need to control your woman, there, before she oversteps.”

Javi glared at him. “I have no authority over her. She does as she pleases.”

Mina turned to glance at him, giving him a small smile of appreciation. “Ambassador?” she pleaded, turning back to her.

Noonan nodded. “I agree with Agent Rivera,” she replied, much to Owen and his partner’s dismay, “the animosity between you needs to end. You will work together on this. Mina, I’m putting you in charge.”

“Ambassador…” Owen began.

She held her hand up to silence them. “I won’t hear it. Work together or not at all. Now, get out of my office.”

The five of them exited, with Steve closing the door behind them. Javi stood close to Mina to put space between her and Owen, who was just glaring at her. She scowled back at him and crossed her arms. She was so annoyed with him that she didn’t even care that Javi was resting his hand on her back to keep her calm - like he used to. “You know, Agent Rivera,” Owen said, glancing between her and Javi, “you would be much more attractive and approachable if you smiled more.”

She knit her eyebrows together. “Thanks. I’ll remember that the next time I give a fuck about your opinion.”

He huffed and turned to leave. “I’ll send our secretary over to collect those files.”

She tensed and moved to follow him, but Javi stopped her. “Not now, Querida,” he whispered, “we can deal with them later.”

She glared at him. “I told you not to call me that.” She shrugged his arm off her and stormed back to their office.

Javi sighed and ran his hand through his hair, looked at Steve for help. He was just shaking his head at him. “The two of you just need to fuck and get it over with,” he mumbled.

He frowned at his partner. “It’s been a whole day!” he exclaimed in disbelief.

“Oh, so you’re not denying that you want to,” he grinned, “figures. It’s obvious that you still have feelings for her.”

Javi huffed and walked away from Steve. After a lot of arguing and quips at each other, Mina and Owen swapped resources. The rest of the day for the three of them was spent reading over what wasn’t redacted information provided by the CIA. Unfortunately, most of it was redacted, which is why Mina didn’t hand over _everything_ to Agent Owen. It did appear, though, that the CIA was keeping tabs on the big players in Medellín, which gave them a better idea as to who was involved. Steve updated their list and ran to the back to develop his pictures they took the night before. Hours passed, and Steve returned from the development room. “I gotta head out. I promised to take Connie to dinner. Can the two of you play nice without supervision?” he asked, grabbing his jacket off his chair.

Mina rolled her eyes. “If Javi stays all the way over there, _away_ from me, then yes,” she replied.

She stood up with a stack of photos in her hands and walked into their war room. Steve glanced at Javi, who looked defeated. “Maybe this will give the two of you a moment to work through some things.”

Javi half-laughed. “I doubt it. No amount of talking will change what happened. She’ll still hate me.”

Steve sighed and watched Mina tack pictures to their board before replying. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but she obviously still feels something for you if you can get her this worked up by being around her.”

He quickly walked out of the office before Mina heard anymore. Javi watched her with lustful eyes. He could feel all of his old feelings for her return. They never left, if he was being honest with himself. Thoughts of her still kept him up at night. It was easier to be upset with her for running out on him than to admit he did this. He pushed the one woman he truly loved away. Since then, he’d filled the void she’d left with senseless sex with countless women whose faces blurred together, because he could only see Mina. 

She turned to walk back into their office but froze when she saw the gaze he was giving her. He was clearly lost in his thoughts, but she watched him look at her. She felt an old, familiar feeling cut through her when she saw his gaze. It was a gaze she hadn’t seen in years that made her burn and feel alive, desired. He was suddenly aware that she saw him, and he tried to give her a small smile. But the glassy look in her eyes told him that his smile would make it worse. She walked over to her desk without saying a word and grabbed her jacket and purse. “Mina, wait,” he said.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Javi,” she replied softly, without looking at him. She felt a tear escape and slide down her cheek as she hurried to her Jeep to head back to her apartment.

“Fuck,” he mumbled to himself. 

***

Steve and Connie sat in the truck for a moment while she told him everything. “I want to have a dinner next week,” she said.

“Why aren’t we discussing this inside?” Steve asked.

“Because, my plans involve your partners, and I don’t want them to hear.” She smiled.

“Con…” He started to tell her it was a waste of time, because Mina hated Javi. But, she cut him off.

She grabbed his hands. “Just listen. Mina told me about this coworker of hers that fucked her over with a secret fiance. So, she has this rule about dating coworkers, but I want to fix that.”

“Wait,” he paused her, “what happened?”

“Mina said she dated a coworker once. Thought he was the one, until his fiance showed up and told her the truth,” she said, “and I thought, even though it breaks her rule, we should try to set her up with Javi. They’re perfect for each other, and he won’t be so miserable anymore.”

Steve was still trying to absorb the information he just learned. “Mina…” he slowly repeated, “dated a coworker. Who had a fiance.”

Connie nodded. “She said he fucked her up pretty bad, and so now she has no time or energy to put forth in finding someone. So, I figured I’d help her.”

“And you want to set her up with Javier?” He tried not to burst out with laughter as he contemplated telling his wife the truth. Instead, he opted to watch these events unfold. “What could go wrong?” He smiled, leaning over to kiss her.

She grinned at him and exited the Bronco. He joined her and wrapped his arm around her as they walked up the stairs. “I was thinking about volunteering at the hospital down the block,” she said.

Steve stiffened as they rounded the corner on the staircase and saw their apartment door open. “Stay behind me,” he ordered, pulling his gun.

He moved into the apartment with Connie close behind, but as soon as they stood in the foyer they saw the sight. “Puff!” Connie exclaimed.

There, hanging from a nail in the wall, was their cat. Connie covered her mouth to stifle a scream and a sob as Steve cut it down. He led her into the living room and checked to make sure the rest of the apartment was clear. There was a knock on the door. Steve raised his gun and answered the door. Javier stood there with his arms up in defense. “Easy there,” he said, “I don’t need both of my partners to want me dead.”

Steve relaxed. “Someone was here,” he stepped aside to reveal the dead cat behind him.

“Shit,” Javier gasped, “are you and Connie okay?”

Steve looked over to Connie, who was sitting on the couch mortified and distraught over their cat. “Connie’s shaken up, but we’re fine. Physically.”

Javi glanced downstairs and then back to Steve. “Shit, Mina.”

“I got it taken care of here. Go check on her.”

He all but jumped down the flight of stairs before he was standing in front of her door anxiously knocking on it. He continued to knock until she answered. Mina ripped the door open with rage burning in her eyes. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she exclaimed.

Javier barged in and started examining her apartment, not noticing the man sitting at her dining table. “Is everything okay?” he asked, breathlessly, “are you _okay_?”

“I’m fine, now get out,” she said.

“Steve and Connie…” he paused and finally glared at the man who was sitting there looking lost. “Who’s this?”

“None of your concern,” she said, standing between them.

Javi took a second to actually look at her, noticing she was wearing nicer clothes than she had on at the office: a low-cut tank top that clung to her body, and patterned shorts. She had also done her hair and make-up. He looked between them and then stared at Mina. “Are you on a date?” He asked, almost surprised.

Mina sighed and motioned for the door. “I think you need to leave,” she said.

“Who is he, Mina? Is he your contact?” he continued, refusing to move.

She took a deep, frustrated breath. “Javi, get out of my apartment. Whatever you’re freaking out about can be dealt with _in the morning._ ”

The man stood and approached Mina. “¿Qué pasa, hermosa?” he asked.

“Nada,” she grinned, “Este es mi socio, Javier Peña.”

The man smiled and held out his hand for Javi to shake. “Mucho gusto,” he replied, “Yo soy Felipe Ortega.”

He shook the man’s hand, firmly grasping it in an effort to establish dominance. However, Juan gripped even harder and didn’t back down. “¿Cómo conoces a Mina?” he asked.

“It’s time to leave, Javier,” she interrupted. 

“Mina…” he pleaded.

She gritted her teeth together and glared at him, burning holes through his skull. “Get the fuck out,” she spat.

“Fine.” He spun on his heel and walked out of her apartment.

Mina slammed the door behind him and spun to face Felipe. “Lo siento. Necesitamos esperar porque el esta esperando para nos salir. Intentará detenernos.”

Felipe nodded and sat back down to finish his drink. 

Javier stood outside her apartment door for a few minutes, hoping he’d catch them leaving. But nothing happened. Mina must have changed her mind and decided to stay in for the night. He could feel the jealousy rising in him as he thought of that man getting too close to his Querida. He was so annoyed that he almost forgot about Steve’s cat. He moped back upstairs to join and help them.

Steve’s apartment was unlocked, so he let himself in. “Where’s Mina?” Connie asked, frantically.

“She’s on a date with some _guy_ ,” he replied, grabbing a beer out of their fridge.

Connie softened and looked at him. “Is she okay at least? Was her apartment attacked?”

He shook his head. Steve was out taking care of Puff while the two of them sat there. “I mean, who even was he?” he said out loud. “She just got here!”

Steve walked in and chuckled. “I just saw her leave with him, too,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“What!” Javier jumped up. “We have to go.”

Steve shook his head and forced Javier to sit back down on the couch. “You’re going to leave her alone and let her go out on the date. If you show up, I’m almost certain she will shoot you. Instead, you’re going to help me catch the fuckers that killed my cat.”

“Did you talk to them?” he asked.

Steve nodded. “I did, and she told me where she was going just in case. However, I’m not telling you shit.”

Javi grabbed the bridge of his nose for a second before standing and grabbing their wall phone. Steve and Connie watched him. “Owen,” he said, “Yes, I know it’s late. I have a new lead I want you to look into for us.”

“What the fuck are you doing?” Steve asked. Javier held his arm out, pushing Steve away from him.

“Yes. He’s new in town. Felipe Ortega. Yes. Based on his accent, he’s not from here.” Javier stood for a minute listening to the phone. 

“She is going to murder you, Javier,” Steve said, standing there with his arms folded.

Javier frowned at him and shook his head. “Sounds good. Thanks.” 

He hung up the phone and turned to face him. “They’re going to run a background on him. He used his passport, so he came here legally.”

Steve rubbed his face and shook his head. “Do you really think you’re going to be able to keep this from Mina?”

“I don’t care. If she’s going to make reckless decisions, I get to look into it.” 

He sighed. “How is this any different than _your_ informants?”

Connie chuckled as she listened to their argument. Javier’s face burned but kept his attention on his partner. “Because I’m not doing it to get back at her.”

Steve laughed at him. “Right. I forgot. She’s sleeping with her informants to get back at _you_.”

Javier continued to glare at him, refusing to respond. “You had no right doing that to her,” Steve added.

He knew Steve was right, but this is what Mina did to him. She drove him crazy. Twelves years later, and he was still nuts about her. Now that she was down here in the midst of constant danger, he felt like he owed it to her to keep her safe. He hurt her worse than anyone could hurt someone, and the only way he could pay her back was to protect her from everything down here. He couldn’t care less that she could “handle herself,” because he wanted to prove to her that he still cared, that he still would take care of her no matter what.

“Steve,” he mumbled, “I can’t let anything happen to her. I’ll never forgive myself.”

Steve looked at Connie, who had slowly started piecing together the complex relationship between Mina and Javi. When he saw the look of shock on her face, he nodded at her. Javier was the one who had fucked her over, and now Connie was determined to help him fix it.

**Translations**

  * ¿Qué pasa, hermosa? - What’s going on, beautiful?
  * Nada. Este es mi socio, Javier Peña. - Nothing. This is my partner, Javir Peña.
  * Mucho gusto. - Pleased to meet you.
  * Yo soy Felipe Ortega. - I am Felipe Ortega.
  * ¿Cómo conoces a Mina? - How do you know Mina?
  * Lo siento. Necesitamos esperar porque el esta esperando para nos salir. Intentará detenernos. - I’m sorry. We have to wait because he is waiting for us to leave. He will try to stop us.
  * Querida - My dear/love/sweetheart




	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina learns that Javi called the CIA on her informant. Some pent up emotions start to spill over while Mina attempts to draw boundaries. Boundaries even she has trouble sticking to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 is finally here! The heat is starting to build between these too, and it’s been so fun to write. Spanish Translations will be at the bottom! I love you all and thank you for the overwhelming amount of support! Let me know what you think!!

> _“Burn out the day  
>  _ _Burn out the night  
>  _ _I can’t see no reason to put up a fight  
>  _ _I’m living for givin’ the devil his due  
>  _ _And I’m burnin’, I’m burnin’, I’m burnin’ for you” -[ Burnin’ For You by Blue Oyster Cult](https://href.li/?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipqqEFoJPL4&ab_channel=BlueOysterWizard)_

Javi beat Steve to the office for the first time and found Mina in the war room looking at the photos and dossiers they’d compiled. She looked upset as her brows knit together. He took a deep breath and cautiously approached her. “Everything alright?” he asked.

She glanced over to him and then back at the board. He noticed she’d added Ivan the Terrible to their board directly under Pablo. “They’ve teamed up,” she replied, “which means the CIA is going to steamroll our entire operation when they find out.”

“Shit,” he breathed, leaning against the table next to her. “Did you learn all this last night?” He was apprehensive in asking her about her night, but he had to know. She didn’t come back until late, and Felipe had stayed the night.

She slowly turned her head to glare at him. “I did,” she added, “Felipe proved to be _very_ resourceful.”

He felt that sting of jealousy again. Their attention was drawn to Steve entering the room. “Playing nice?” he asked, glancing between the two of them. 

“Nicer than normal,” Mina grinned. 

Steve chuckled. Javier stood, listening to the two of them talk about the information she learned last night. He looked through the photos Steve placed on the table, one of which was of his cat. He picked it up and shook his head. “I’m more of a dog person myself, but no cat deserves this,” he said.

Mina and Steve turned to look at him. “Did either of you tell anyone why you were down here?”

She shook her head. “No. I used my Colombian passport to come here, since I have dual citizenship.”

“Smart. Steve?”

Steve looked through them as he thought about anyone who might have had access to his credentials. “You gave someone your passport?” Javi asked him.

“We were trying to get Puff through immigration,” Steve added, kicking himself for his naive mistake.

“Puff?” Mina and Javi said in unison.

He held his hands up and shook his head. “I didn’t name it.”

The three of them chuckled and continued. “Traffickers pay people at the airport for intel,” Javi added, “a gringo coming in from Miami raises suspicions. That’s how you got made.”

“Don’t let it rattle you,” Mina added, “That’s what they want. The three of us have prices on our heads just for being down here.”

Javi nodded in agreement. “There’s a standing bounty of $350,000 on any DEA down here, but you’re safe because of Kiki.” He turned to Mina. “Did anyone approach you at all, either in your apartment or anywhere else?”

She shook her head. “No,” she replied, “after dinner last night, we had a few drinks and came home. I didn’t talk to anyone else.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “So then, only you were made, Steve, but don’t worry. This cat is DEA. Mark my words, it will get justice.”

Mina smiled to herself at Javi’s remark. He noted her small grin and felt his spirits lift a little, but the second he saw Agent Owen walking in with a file in his hand, he deflated. He remembered that ill-advised phone call he’d made, and their seemingly pleasant morning was about to go up in flames.

“Peña! I got that background you wanted,” he said, slapping the file on the table.

Mina glared at him and glanced down at the file. Javi picked it up fast enough that she couldn’t see too much. He thumbed through the information, turning away from her. “Thanks, Owen,” he said, “I’ll let you know if I learn any more.”

“What would an ex-Mexican cop have to do with anything going on down here?” Owen asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“What!” Mina exclaimed. “You called the CIA!”

Javi closed his eyes and dropped his head, refusing to turn and see the look on her face. “He called last night and asked us to do a background check on this ‘new lead’ of his: Felipe Ortega?”

Steve quickly turned to Owen, sensing a very loud argument approaching. “Thanks,” he said, “we’ll let you know if anything develops.”

He glared at him suspiciously and then looked over to the fuming Mina who was sending daggers into the back of Peña’s skull as he continued to flip through the file. He smiled at Murphy, knowing that there was more to this Felipe than he uncovered in his background check. “I’ll leave you with them, then,” he nodded in their direction and left. 

Steve looked at Mina who was trying to find the words and was struggling to remain calm while Javier continued to ignore her. He ordered everyone out of the war room as he closed the door behind them. Just as he made himself comfortable at the table, Mina spoke so calmly that it sent a chill down his spine. “Let me see the file, Javi.”

“I will when I’m done looking through it,” he replied.

Steve watched her take a deep breath before she let it out, shaking with anger. She remained patient while he slowly thumbed through each page. Several agonizing minutes went by before he tossed it on the table, looking at her. “Want to explain why he’s down here?” he asked, motioning to the file.

She grabbed the small manilla folder and flipped through it, and there it was. He was let go under extortion suspicions. He was on Gallardo’s payroll briefly, and continued to be but as an informant when Kiki had gone missing. Once Mina had moved to Mexico, she used his contacts to help Operation Leyenda succeed. Soon, she learned that his contacts had connections in Colombia, so he continued to be useful to her. “I can’t fucking believe you,” she spat, glaring at him, “Did you know he did this?” She glared at Steve.

“I refuse to get involved,” he replied.

Javi took two steps forward and crossed his arms. “Steve’s apartment was attacked the same night your boyfriend was in the building.”

“He was with me the _entire_ time. I left the office to pick him up at the airport. God, I can’t fucking believe this! You really are unbelievable.” She shook her head and laughed to herself.

“Where is he staying?” he questioned.

She frowned at him. “That is none of your damn business.”

“Is he staying with you?”

“Does it matter? He’s _my_ informant.”

He straightened his posture and became rigid. The word informant had a double meaning between him and Steve, and he was certain this Felipe was the same kind of informant for her. 

“I don’t think he should stay in the building,” he added.

“I can hear who you’re fucking through our paper thin walls, it’s only right you get to hear me.” She gave him an evil grin, “so, who I have staying in my apartment is absolutely none of your concerns.”

Steve was worried, because neither of them managed to raise their voices at each other. Instead this was the calmest argument he’d ever seen, and it was completely terrifying. Javi was taken aback by her crude comment, and a little jealous. “I don’t give a shit who you’re fucking. I think he’s a danger to have so close to us. How do you know he’s not still working for any of the cartels?”

“Oh!” she laughed. “You really think my judgement is _that bad_?” He went to reply, but she stopped him. “I’ve been doing this just as long as you have, Javi, or did you forget that we graduated together? My judgement has learned an awful lot over the years.” She huffed. “Maybe my judgement is that bad. After all, I fucked you, didn’t I?”

Javi felt a sting in his chest again as he heard Steve let out a soft “oof”. “I’d like to think it was more than just fucking,” he mumbled.

She shook her head. She picked up the file again and pushed past him. “If you ever do anything like this again, Javier, I will shoot you where you stand.”

He grabbed her wrist to stop her, and she glanced down at his hand. “Let go of me,” she ordered.

“Steve, get out,” he growled.

Steve didn’t give it a second thought as he quickly exited the room. Javi waited until he was gone before he marched over to the door, locked it, and drew the blinds. “What the fuck are you doing?” she glared.

He turned and gazed at her. “So no one interrupts me when I do this,” he said, taking four large strides towards her. 

Javi pulled her into his arms and roughly kissed her, to which she didn’t resist. Instead her arms wrapped around him as she tugged at his hair, drawing out a low growl from him. He nipped and bit at her bottom lip until she opened her mouth for him to deepen his embrace. He missed her taste so much that it was almost enough to send him over the edge. His fingers dug into her sides as he pulled her closer to him. He lifted her up just enough to slide her onto the table as he kissed and nipped at her jaw and down her neck. She let out a soft moan with his name, relishing in this feeling. She was by no means starved for this kind of attention, but when it came to Javier, everything was different. He knew every sensitive part of her body that would make her toes curl and her back arch. She’d never found anyone as good as him since she’d left him. As he started tugging at her blouse, untucking it from her slacks, she was reminded of all the times they’d spent together and were happy; until finally that final memory slithered its way in. Mina’s eyes flew open and she put her hand on his chest to push him away.

He gazed at her breathless and confused as she hopped off the table and tucked her shirt back in. “This is a mistake,” she muttered.

“You don’t really think that was a mistake,” he softly replied, approaching her. 

She took a step back from him, refusing to look into his eyes. Mina knew the second she gazed into his brown eyes, all of her conviction would disappear. “I do, Javi,” she added, “and I think staying here is a mistake.”

“Mina…” he pleaded.

She shook her head and finally looked up at him. “You cut me so deep that night that I never properly healed. And because of that, I’ll never forgive you for what you did to me; no matter how I feel about you.” 

He sighed. “You never let me explain.”

“It doesn’t matter now. I survived these last twelve years without you, and I’ll do the same in the next twelve years.” Her words wounded him, and he dropped his head as she quickly exited the room.

Javi walked over to the table that had glasses and a bottle of Scotch on it. He poured himself a splash and sat down. Steve had waited a few minutes before joining him. He sat down adjacent to him and watched him try to drown out of the noise from this morning. “It’s not even 9 o’clock,” he said.

He grunted and took a sip, letting the alcohol sting and burn his throat. Honestly, he couldn’t feel it anymore, but after what happened, he felt like he needed something to calm his nerves. He’d forgotten what it was like being with Mina, and how much he’d missed it. Steve sighed. “When I said the two of you need to just fuck to get it over with, I didn’t mean at _work_.”

Javi glared at him before finishing his drink. “It’s no use, anyway,” he muttered, standing up, “she’ll never forgive me for what I did to her.”

Steve sighed. “Connie told me, and that’s fucked up, man.”

“Connie?” His head snapped up. If Connie knew, then Mina was talking about him; for some weird reason that lifted his spirits and gave him hope that he could still fix this. “What did she say?”

“She told Connie that she doesn’t date coworkers anymore, because the last one she dated fucked her up. He had a fiance and it broke her heart.” He looked at Javier as he ran his hands through his hair. “She told her that she thought you were the one until that happened.”

“Fuck,” he muttered. He ran his hand through his hair and walked to the door. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

Javi didn’t answer him as they walked out of the building. They both noticed her Jeep was gone. He kicked himself as he climbed into the driver seat of his vehicle. Steve hopped in, and they both sat in an awkward silence for several minutes before Javi finally tossed the Jeep in reverse and left the parking lot. “I’ve got a guy who can help us out with the Puff situation,” he said.

Steve nodded and watched the road. Even though Javi was driving, it was clear he wasn’t focused. He kept clenching and unclenching the steering wheel, no doubt letting his thoughts reel. Finally, he let out an exasperated sigh that startled Steve. “I didn’t have a fiance,” he added, “Lorraine just _showed up_. I broke up with her before I even left for the Academy, but she was in denial. She bought a plane ticket and arrived just before graduation. I didn’t have the time to tell Mina everything. So, like an idiot I brought Lorraine to the graduation banquet so she wasn’t home alone. Before I had a chance, Lorraine told her we were engaged, Mina bolted, and the rest is history.”

“Look, I’m not judging…” he started to say, but Javi cut him off.

“No, I fucked this up. I should have told her the truth from the start.” He frowned as he flipped his blinker on and turned down the street, across from a small cafe. 

“Why did you bring Lorraine instead of sending her home?” Steve asked.

Javi shrugged and continued looking forward, avoiding Steve’s inquisitive gaze. “I don’t know,” he said, “I just felt bad forcing her to sit at my apartment or her hotel for the entire night while I was out with Mina.”

“Really?” he continued, turning to face Javi. “Then, why couldn’t you just quickly tell Mina, ‘hey, my ex is here, but I don’t want to leave her alone for the night, so she’s coming with me’?” He watched as Javi’s eyebrows knit together out of frustration and regret. He was no doubt running through every possible scenario again, wishing he could go back and fix things. “You want to know what I think?”

“No.”

Steve shook his head and chuckled before continuing anyway. “I think that things were getting too serious between you and Mina, and you got scared. Lorraine showing up was a way to push Mina away, and when it worked you realized how badly you fucked up. You wanted Mina to stay, but she was already gone before you could stop her.”

Javi slowly turned and glared at Steve. “And why in the world would I have done that?”

“Because that’s terrifying. The next thing you know you’re picking out curtains and throw pillows for your first apartment together and talking about budgeting your money for the month so you can pay your bills and still put food on the table.” Steve sighed. “I knew Connie was the one when I met her, but it was still terrifying.”

Javi sighed. He didn’t want to admit that there was some truth to what Steve had said, but he could feel it. He knew that after graduation he and Mina were going to have to have a serious conversation about their relationship, whether they wanted to take it a step further or not. He remembered panicking before that night, worried he’d disappoint her once they left the safe bubble of the Academy. He didn’t want to watch their relationship dissolve over time, but instead preserve it as a perfect time of bliss. Javier knew he would have eventually ruined everything; he always did. But he had a hard time believing he used Lorraine to drive Mina away. He grabbed his gun and his badge off the seat and moved to hop out. “Do you know where she went?” he asked.

“No,” Steve added, “she ran out of the office.” He dropped his head. “Maybe this is a second chance.”

Javi glanced over to him. “For what?”

“For you to make it right.”

He shook his head and glanced over to the cafe where his contact would be waiting. There was no way for him to make amends for the deep wound he’d given her. He had no idea what the repercussions of his actions caused Mina, but he knew that no amount of an apology would fix that. She would always feel a stinging sense of betrayal every time she looked at him; she would never trust him again.

“Javi,” Steve cautioned, “it’s none of my business, but do you still love her?”

He got out of the Jeep. “It doesn’t matter.”

***

Mina used the heel of her hand to wipe the single tear that fell down her cheek away. She had to meet with Felipe in an hour anyway, so running from Javier was just an excuse to leave early. Her lips still tingled as she tried to suppress a smile at the memory. It had been _years_ since she felt any heat with someone. Then again, Javier wasn’t just someone. She could still feel her heart racing as his fingers traced along her stomach above her pant line before untucking her shirt. Part of her wondered how far he was planning on going before she stopped him; part of her wanted him to keep going; but the rational woman in her knew all of that was a mistake. If she hopped back into bed with him, the last twelve years would evaporate and her pain would mean nothing. Her phone rang and brought her out of her trance. “Rivera,” she answered. 

“Hey, Mina,” Amelia’s voice rang through the other end, “I was just calling to check in and see how it’s going.”

Mina chuckled a little. “It’s going about as good as you can imagine.”

Amelia huffed. “What happened?”

“Well, for starters he vetted one of my contacts from Guadalajara, which caused a fight. Honestly, we’ve fought every second we’ve been together.”

“No one’s surprised.”

“Oh, and he kissed me,” she added ever so nonchalantly. 

Amelia gasped. “He did _what_?”

“I stopped him, though,” she added, “I can’t let him hurt me like that, again.”

She sighed into the mouthpiece, and Mina knew her best friend was about to slap her with some sort of hard truth. “Mina, I will always hate Javi for what he did to you,” she began, “but I know he was your one. You never felt this way about anyone. He hurt you more than I ever cared to see anyone hurt, and if I could I would shoot him for you. But, you’ve clearly been given a second chance. I’m not saying take him back, but at least get answers. You never got any sort of closure from him.”

“I don’t need closure, Mia,” she replied.

Amelia chuckled. “You’ve never truly gotten over him. That is painfully clear to everyone that knows the two of you, and he clearly still has feelings for you. I said the exact same thing to you the other day. You need to confront him about all of this so you can forget him and _move on_.”

Mina parked her Jeep. “I have to meet my contact. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Mina, I’m seri-”

She hung up the phone and hopped out to meet Felipe. After he left her apartment early in the morning, he went to meet with some people he knew down here, see what he could learn. She was early, so she found herself a quiet table in the back corner where she could still see every entrance. The waitress took her coffee order, just as her phone rang again. “Amelia, I’m not having this conversation right now,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“It’s Murphy,” he said, quietly.

She let out a frustrated sigh. “What?”

“Javi’s contact thinks he knows who sold my information. We’re headed to the station. Where are you?”

“Are you asking, or is Javi?” she bitterly replied.

“I am,” he said, “I refuse to get involved with whatever is going on between the two of you.”

“Fine,” she added, “I’m off calle 82 at a café. I’m meeting someone to find out what’s going on with M-19. If you _must know_ , it’s my contact. I’ll report back when I leave here. I’ll meet you back at the Embassy.”

“Be careful, Mina,” he said.

She hung up the phone as she saw Felipe walk in. He looked around to make sure he wasn’t followed before approaching her. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and took a seat across from her. “Mi primo me dijo todo lo que sabe.”

***

Javier was waiting for her when she pulled into the parking lot. She sat in the car for a second, glaring at him as he leaned against his Jeep. It was unfair how good he looked in his light blue button down that was pulled tight across his arms, and she knew he was there to have a serious conversation. She knew sitting in the car was just putting off the inevitable, so she climbed out and walked around, leaning against her vehicle across from him. They stood there staring at each other for several agonizing seconds. “I assume you want to talk about earlier,” she said.

“I think we need to clear the air with several things,” he replied, “starting with twelve years ago.”

Mina shook her head. “Javi, I don’t want to talk about that. It was twelve years ago. Whatever you have to say about it, it won’t matter.”

She stood straighter and moved to leave, but he stopped her. “Well, I do, Mina.”

She glared at him. “I would much rather talk about the gall you had kissing me like that earlier.”

“You didn’t seem to mind it all that much,” he grinned.

Mina crossed her arms, refusing to dignify him with any sort of a response. He chuckled and leaned back against the truck. “Tell me that didn’t feel good,” he continued smiling at her.

“It was a mistake, Javi.” 

He grabbed the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath. “You’re telling me you felt _nothing_ , because I refuse to believe that. If you truly moved past this, you wouldn’t give a shit that you were standing here with me. I think deep down you still have feelings for me, and you want to give us another shot.”

She laughed. “Ha! That’s rich coming from you. You think I’m willing to forget all the pain you caused me just to hop back into your bed? Go back to being fuck buddies?”

“We were more than just that, and you know it. I know you thought I was the one for you. Amelia told me you were going to tell me you loved me that night.”

Mina felt her heart stop for a brief moment as a cool chill washed over her. She hated being reminded of how young and dumb she was. “Yeah, well, I guess you dodged a bullet there.”

“Don’t be like that,” he breathed, “You know you mean more to me than anything.”

He stepped forward and swept a piece of hair off her face. Mina couldn’t look up into his eyes, so she gazed at his lips. They were so soft, and she longed to feel them again, despite the fact she knew that would be a mistake. She tried to stop him from getting closer, but a heat was building inside of her that burned; a burn she hadn’t felt in a long time. She couldn’t resist any longer. His hand slid from her cheek to her chin as he pulled her face up to his, running this thumb over her bottom lip. Her eyes pierced through his, and he thought for just a minute he saw his Mina. Javi closed the gap, leaving mere centimeters between them. She could feel his breath tickling her lips as she slowly parted them, leaning up to him.

“Peña! Rivera!” Steve exclaimed from the steps. They quickly separated, staring at each other.“You two should come see this!”

Mina stared at Javi for a second longer with a few tears in her eyes before giving Steve the attention. Javi’s head dropped and realized this moment was over. “We’re not done,” he muttered.

“Yes, we are, Javi.” She walked over to Steve and followed him back into the building. 

“Fuck,” he muttered as he followed after them. 

They were both standing in front of a TV watching a news report about Pablo Escobar. Valeria Vasquez was announcing that Pablo Escobar would be formally supporting the New Liberal candidate and running as his alternate. Mina turned to Steve, “That tracks with what Felipe learned.”

She now had Javi’s attention. “What did he say?” he asked.

She glanced at him and then back to Steve. “He heard Poison was going to be making a high profiled delivery tomorrow. I assumed it was cocaine, but what do you want to bet it’s bribe money,” she continued.

“That’s the motherfucker who bought my creds,” Steve growled.

Javi grabbed his phone. “I’ll call Carrillo.”

Steve offered to drive to the Search Bloc station, before calling Connie to tell her he was going to be late. Once Javi got off the phone with Carrillo, he grabbed Mina’s arm. “Listen, there’s something you need to know about Carrillo.”

She rolled her eyes. “What?”

“Carrillo is a little intense,” he sighed, “I’ve grown close to him since I’ve been down here. He’s hellbent on getting these fuckers no matter the cost.”

“Javi, you forget I was part of Operation Leyenda. I think I can handle myself.”

He sighed. “I know, Querida,” he added, “I just want you to know what you’re walking into.”

She glared at him. “I told you to stop calling me ‘Querida’.”

He smirked at her, which drove her wild. His suave charm always had a way of melting her, but she decided to stand her ground. He was not going to win this time. “I know.”

“Do you just enjoy pushing my buttons, then?”

His smile grew wider as he leaned in to whisper in a gravelly, low baritone, “They’re my favorite buttons to press, Querida.”

A chill washed over her as she felt the same heat course through her veins. Javi gazed at her eyes, noticing they grew wider at his comment. Even twelve years later, he still knew how to get to her. She always found his voice titillating, and she hated it now more than ever. “Ten las manos quietas,” she replied, leaning closer to him.

He gazed down at her lips, unconsciously wetting his before hearing Steve clear his throat. They both glanced over at him, embarrassed. She hopped into the passenger seat, forcing him to sit in the back. He slid behind the driver’s seat and gazed at her. She was still more beautiful than ever. The Colombian heat caused pieces of her hair to stick to her skin. He wanted nothing more than to reach up and move it away, brushing his fingers across the smooth, tanned skin. But he wouldn’t stop there. He wanted to kiss her again, taste her lips and travel down her jaw, nibbling at the soft spot on the base of her neck. He craved the quiet moans of his name as his hands held her tight against him while he ravished her, feeling her body move against him and beg for more. He wanted _her_. Now that she was back in his life, he was intent on keeping her there. 

**Translations**

  * _Mi primo me dijo todo lo que sabe. - My cousin told me everything he knows._
  * _Ten las manos quietas. - Keep your hands to yourself.  
_




	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina and Javi try to concentrate on their jobs, but are distracted by old feelings. Javi can’t seem to let go of the past while Connie tries to help fix their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Violence, Light Smut
> 
> This fire has been stoked between the two of them, and they’re both extremely frustrated. I’ve been having so much fun exploring Mina and Javi’s relationship. Let me know what you think!!

_“I think of you every night and day  
_ _You took my heart, and you took my pride away  
_ _I hate myself for loving you  
_ _Can’t break free from the the things that you do  
_ _I wanna walk but I run back to you  
_ _That’s why I hate myself for loving you.” -[I Hate Myself for Loving You - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts](https://href.li/?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpNw7jYkbVc&ab_channel=MonLaferteMonLaferteOfficialArtistChannel)_

  
After the failed blockade, they needed to find another way to out Escobar as a narco, and they were coming up with nothing. Mina sat at her desk going over everything she had over Pablo for the thousandth time. Steve and Javi were sitting at their desks, trying to do the same. However, Javi kept sneaking glances over at her, watching her brow wrinkle a little as she grew more frustrated. He grinned, trying to hide it as he begrudgingly glanced back to the work on his desk. She was so endearing when her eyebrows knitted together in concentration. He could feel eyes staring him down, so he glanced up. Steve was glaring at him, annoyed. “Really?” he mouthed.

“What?” he mouthed back. “I can’t help it.”

Steve shook his head and glanced back at the files. 

“I know you’re talking about me,” she said, without looking up.

Javi’s eyes grew wide as he looked at her. “We were just talking about how this isn’t helping. We can’t keep looking through these files.”

“Mhm,” she said, unconvinced, “Then what do you propose we do?”

He sighed and leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. “I know a guy who _might_ get us something useful.”

Steve huffed. “You mean more than Felipe’s been getting for us?” **  
**

Javier glared at him. “Yes,” he said, “ _more_ than Felipe. Suarez found the murderers of your cat, didn’t he?”

“Felipe found us Poison, and Suarez sold us out.” Steve grinned at him, enjoying Javier’s obvious jealous flash in his eyes.

He gritted his teeth together. “We don’t know if we can trust this Felipe,” he added.

Mina turned in her chair to face him. “Seriously? Between our two contacts, only one has sold us out.”

Steve laughed. It was a slow day, and watching them bicker proved to be entertainment for him right now. “Why would Felipe sell out the woman he’s fucking?” he added, receiving another glare from Javier.

She stared at him. “Maybe I should fuck Suarez so he doesn’t sell us out next time, Javi.”

Steve lost it when he saw the look on Javi’s face. “At least I know not to trust him.”

She growled and turned back to the files on her desk. “It’s insulting that you think I’m that naive to blindly trust a man I’m fucking, again.”

Javi felt a sting in his chest. No matter how hard he tried, he’d never outrun his mistake. He looked at Steve, whose amused expression had turned into a look of sympathy. Steve couldn’t help but feel like an ass for stirring the pot between them for entertainment at the expense of his partners. “Let’s at least see what Suarez has to say,” he added.

Javi stood and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. “I’ll do it,” he said, “it’s my turn to storm off.”

Mina shook her head and rolled her eyes. She stood and grabbed her coat, rushing after him. Steve shook his head and propped his feet up on his desk, letting them settle this in the comforts of Javi’s Jeep. She ran as fast as she could down the stairs, barely making it to the lobby as he was exiting. “Javi, wait!” she exclaimed.

He turned and saw her running after him before continuing to his Jeep. “Javier!” 

He stopped at the driver door and sighed, glancing at her. “You know, when you storm off, I at least grant you the courtesy of not following you.”

Mina glared at him. “Did you ever think that maybe twelve years ago, I wanted you to come after me?”

“Forgive me if I didn’t understand the message as you drove away,” he replied. 

She sighed and walked around to the passenger side. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“You’re my partner, aren’t you?” she said, glancing at him over the Jeep, “Let’s go see Suarez.”

“Steve?”

“It’s just us.”

Javi climbed into the Jeep and started it. He watched her slide in next to him, and suddenly he was whisked back to the Academy. It was the Friday after their final exams, and she and Javi decided to take a quick trip together away from everyone. He’d found a small cabin about two hours north where they spent the whole weekend wrapped up in each other. He could still see the look of pure love and adoration as she would peer down at him, while leaning on his chest. She would lean down and lightly kiss him, leaving him wanting more. It was one of his favorite memories of them together; it was the last time they were happy. He’d intended on asking her an important question after graduation, after that weekend. But he’d managed to fuck that up.

He sighed, dropping his eyes before glancing in the rearview mirror to back out of his spot. They sat in silence for a long time as he drove down the street towards the police station. “Remember that cabin?” he asked, glancing over to her.

He saw a small smile play at the corners of her mouth as she nodded. “I do. I also remember you failing miserably at cooking my dinner,” she laughed, “and so we ordered pizza from that _awful_ pizzeria.”

For the first time since she’d been down here, he saw her smile. The smile that drove him mad. He grinned at her. “In my defense, that grill was a piece of shit.”

She laughed again, and he felt knots in his stomach. “Why did you bring that up?” she asked, glancing at him.

He sighed and stared out in front of them. “I think that was the last time we were together and happy,” he muttered. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, her smile fade as she reflected back on the last week of their relationship.

Silence fell over the Jeep, again, except this time he could feel the tone change. Remorse and regret filled the empty space between them, and it cut him even deeper. “Sometimes I wish we never left that cabin,” he added.

She glanced over at him with heavy eyes. “You were still lying to me then, Javi,” she added, “all of those moments and memories are tainted for me.”

“Mina,” he said, his voice maintaining the same soft tone he’d had, “whatever you think happened, didn’t. You ran away before I could explain.”

“What good is it going to do now?” she asked, glancing out the window.

He sighed and shook his head. “Why did you come along?” he asked, “You can barely stand being in the same room with me for more than five minutes.”

She shrugged. “Because, despite the fact that I do hate you as a person, what I said was out of line as your partner. I wanted to show you that I still have your back as your partner.”

Javier glanced over at her and shook his head. There was no use in trying to convince her otherwise. The damage had been done years ago, and she wasn’t ever going to change her mind about him. He put the car in park and looked over to Mina. “For what it’s worth,” he sighed, “I never got over that night.”

She watched him slide out of the Jeep, trying to absorb his comment before following after him. She honestly wished she could forgive him, but every time she felt her walls start to weaken, she reminded herself of the worst pain she’d ever felt. Javier Peña broke her heart all those years ago, and he was not about to get the chance to do it again. She was not going to feel bad for him. _He_ was the one who made the mistake, and he was going to live with it.

***

The election had come and gone, and they’d successfully handed over Pablo’s mug shot to Minister Lara; Pablo’s political career was finally over. They’d managed to prevent Colombia from becoming a narcostate. Lara went after the Narcos hard, which ultimately cost him his life. Now, it was time to focus on bringing Pablo in. It wasn’t until after they’d raided Pablo’s home and arrested Blackbeard did things start to settle down. They gathered enough intel to put Pablo away for lifetimes. Now, they were looking for someone called “McPickle.” Mina was staring at the war board frustrated, since they had zero leads on the guy. She could hear Javi and Steve arguing as they walked down the hallway. “Do you _really_ think Suarez is going to help us with this McPickle?”

“Probably more than Felipe,” Javi growled. They both stopped when they saw Mina waiting for them with an annoyed glare.

“You really want to have this argument again?” she asked.

The two CIA agents they all loathed the most walked in with large smiles on their faces. “It looks like with Escobar out of Congress our partnership has come to an end,” Owen gloated.

Mina glared at him. “What’s that mean?”

“He’s no longer a threat. The communists are the priority now. He’s just another criminal you are chasing.”

Javi saw Mina tense, so he stepped between them. “If you knew what was good for America, you’d put all of your resources into helping us catch this fucker.” His voice dropped to a threatening level.

“Peña,” Owen added, “Communists are a bigger threat to democracy than a little pinch of white powder.”

The three of them stood straighter, trying to hide he was getting to them. “Anyway,” he added, “I’m here to say that we’re pulling back our resources. You’re on your own.”

“It’s not like you were much help to begin with,” Mina spat, “we were doing most of the leg work.”

He chuckled. “You mean you were. What were these two doing half the time?”

She moved to reach at him, but Javi grabbed her hands and held onto them. “Get out, Owen,” he ordered, “Don’t you have commies to chase?”

“Hijo de puta,” she whispered. Javi squeezed her hands a little as a warning as they watched Owen and his partner leave. 

“I know they’re assholes,” Javi said, “but you can’t beat the shit out of the CIA.” He laughed when he turned to look at her.

“If I could just strangle the life out of him…” she said, glancing down at her hands in his. Unconsciously, her hands softened in his grasp, and she felt his thumb run over her knuckles. Gazing back up at him, she saw her Javi for a split second behind his dark, brown eyes. Mina could feel herself melting for him until she suddenly pulled her hands away when Steve cleared his throat. “Are the two of you ever going to be here on time?” she said, suddenly a little flustered.

Steve laughed and looked between her and Javi. “That would require Javi to actually get out of bed early,” he said.

“To be fair,” he glared at Steve, “I was setting up a meeting with Suarez.”

Both Mina and Steve turned to him, interested. “You got a lead?” Steve asked.

Javi shrugged. “If anyone knows anything about a narcos contact, it would be that snake.”

Mina gave him a small smile. “Want me to go with you again?”

He chuckled. “I think Suarez would prefer if I left you behind. He specifically asked if ‘Chica Loca’ was coming today. I could hear him shake with fear when I said maybe.”

The three of them laughed. “What the hell did you do to him, Mina?” Steve asked. 

She shrugged and grinned. “Nothing you wouldn’t have done. Javi went in very diplomatic. I went in pissed he sold us out.”

“Exactly,” Javi added, giving her a soft but stern glance, “and I want information I can use out of him today. So you and Steve meet me at the café later. I’m popping by his office.”

“Connie wanted to meet for lunch, anyway. She’s bringing Elisa, a friend she made at work.”

Mina bumped shoulders with him. “It’s about time you bought lunch.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I forgot my wallet _once_. At least I’m not as bad as your other partner over there.” He nodded in Javi’s direction.

“Hey!”

She laughed. “I’ll meet you there,” she replied, “I have a few errands to run first and a couple of calls to make.” They glanced at her, suspicious of her ambiguity. “Don’t worry. I’m not getting into trouble. Felipe is introducing me to his cousin. He’s heading back to Mexico soon and didn’t want to leave me without any contacts, in case we needed it.”

Javier’s relaxed state instantly changed as he puffed his chest out and moved closer to her. “You’re meeting another mysterious contact that you don’t know, _alone_?”

She let out a small, frustrated sigh. “I’m not negotiating this with you. I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”

He glared at her, his eyes suddenly darker. “Mina…”

Steve could sense an argument coming, and he wanted to prevent it. They’d been having semi-pleasant days at work for a while. He’d been keeping count of the days: 2 days since their last explosive argument. They’d yet to make it past 3 days, and he had a small bet going with the secretary down the hall. “I’ll go with you, Mina,” he quickly added, “but I’ll stay in the car so we don’t spook him.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t need a babysitter, Steve.”

He nodded. “I know. But you’ll have the proper backup in case you need it.”

“Fine,” she said, grinning. “Does this work for you, Jav?”

He gave her an annoyed look. “I don’t think you should be meeting with them _at all.”_

“He’s fine with it,” Steve said, “go make your calls and we can head out.”

She left the war room, leaving them alone. Steve turned and glared at Javi. “Jav,” he sighed, “just let it go. She’s not yours to protect. Get it through your thick skull. Her meeting with Felipe is no different than you meeting with _your_ informants.”

He let out a sigh that was almost a growl. “I don’t care if she’s not mine to protect, Steve. I care too much about her not to. Now,” he grabbed him by the collar, “if _anything_ happens to her on your watch…”

Steve chuckled and pulled from his grasp. “Relax. She’ll be fine. Go meet with Suarez. We will see you at lunch.”

***

Barry Seal. Ex-CIA. Sweet justice. Mina knew they had to hate it, but she, Steve, and Javi loved it. It was just desserts. However, Barry had been waiting for this day and had just the right amount of leverage to save himself, much to Mina’s dismay. However, now that Pablo was tied _directly_ to Communists and the CIA was forced to give them all of their resources. She hopped out of the Jeep and walked into the station where Peña was already talking to Carrillo while looking over a map. Javi did a double take as he gazed at her in the tight, green, bulletproof vest she was wearing that hugged her body so perfectly he couldn’t help but feel the knots form in his stomach. Her hair was pulled back into a tight braid, but there were loose strands falling around her face, sticking to her skin in the heat. _Fuck_ , he thought to himself, _get it together, Peña._ Steve walked in and rested his hand on his back, slapping the breath back into his body and bringing him out of his trance.

Carrillo chuckled and looked between Javi and Mina. “Tienes suerte de que amo a mi esposa, Peña,” he said in a low voice.

“Olvidas que yo también hablo español,” she said, giving Carrillo a quick glare before landing on Javi. She could see the tortured look he had on his face as he gazed at her, and it was hard to keep her pride in check. In a way it was fun for her to watch his anguish; she was able to see him live with his mistake in real time, which almost made up for all the pain he had caused.

Carrillo chuckled and nodded at her. Javi was unsettled at how he was able to accept Mina, not fully, but he was different around her than he was with him and Steve. It was almost like a woman’s touch brought out a softer side to the hardened colonel. Carrillo was aware of the tense nature between him and Mina, which he always played to his advantage. Mina was able to be the agent Javi knew she was with Carrillo in charge, much to his dislike. Javi was able to shield her from the true colonel, but she saw more action working with Search Bloq.

“Lo siento, Mina,” Carrillo added.

Javier sighed. “There’s no need for all three of us to go today,” he said, looking between Mina and Carrillo.

She glared at him. The raids they’d been going on had been growing more dangerous, and she knew he was trying to leave her behind. “We aren’t leaving her here,” Carrillo said, “I need everyone I trust out there today.”

He seethed and glanced over to Mina. He didn’t want to say anything else for fear of starting another argument. They’d already had a big fight on the way to Carrillo’s office over everything and nothing. He’d made another backhanded comment about Felipe which started a chain reaction of comments that Steve couldn’t quell from the driver’s seat. “Fine,” he said, storming out with Steve behind him. 

Mina walked out with Carrillo, loading into the vehicles and ready to raid Tranquilandia. This was their biggest bust yet, and they just hoped that Carlos Lehder would still be there. They needed a big win, especially after the U.S. government sent them a nice care package of all the resources they could ever need. 

They landed in the jungle about a mile away from the operation. Javi clung to Mina’s side the entire time. They’d been instructed to wait until after Carrillo’s men had gone in before arriving on the scene. The trio were upset with the decision, but it was under orders of the American government. Let the Colombians bring them down, but be there for the arrest. They could hear the gunshots and feel a few bullets buzz by them while the fight ensued. Carrillo lost dozens of men, but the narcos lost more. Eventually, they moved in for reinforcements and brought down the entire processing lab. Javi walked a few steps ahead of Mina with his gun drawn. He sharply turned to look at her when he heard her fire her weapon to their left. A narco dropped as he was trying to escape. She picked up pace and moved past Javi, and he and Steve followed her to Carrillo’s position. The colonel nodded at them when he saw him. Mina moved fast to his side and shot the narco sneaking up behind them. No one saw it until the body bounced off the forest floor. Carrillo quickly turned to look behind him before glancing back at Mina, impressed. “You sure you want to keep working for the DEA?” he asked, only half kidding.

She laughed and looked back at Javi and Steve. “They wouldn’t survive two days without me,” she replied.

Neither Javi nor Steve wanted to argue that fact, because there was some truth to it. “¡Coronel!” They heard a voice call.

The four of them ran in the direction and saw, kneeling on the ground with hands behind his back was Carlos Lehder. Mina, Javi, and Steve stood behind Carrillo beaming from ear to ear as Carrillo forced him up. Lehder looked at them with pleading eyes. “In my tent is a bag with $50,000. Ten times that if you give me one hour.”

Javi huffed and glared at him. “No hay salida, Carlitos. Vas a Disneylandia.”

Carlos’s eyes darkened when he realized his fate. He turned to Mina. “Déjame llevarte a mi tienda y cambiar de opinión,” he rasped.

Mina moved to slug him, but Javi beat her to it, dropping him. “Vuelve a hablarle así y te meteré una bala entre sus ojos, cabrón,” Javi growled, while holding him by the collar of his shirt.

She grabbed Javi’s hand to release Carlos. “Tranquilo, mi amado,” she whispered, “I can take care of it from here.”

Javi softened at her touch and glanced over to her. He wanted to believe he heard her correctly, but it was too good to be true. There was no way she’d address him with such an intimate term of endearment. For a brief second he thought he saw his old Mina, again, but as he gazed into her eyes that flash from the past was gone. She’d turned her attention back to Lehder and forced him up, escorting him to the chopper with Carrillo. Steve didn’t need to understand Spanish to know Lehder said something derogatory towards Mina. He slapped his partner on the back. He didn’t say any words of encouragement, because he could see by the look on Javi’s face whatever she’d whispered to him had given him a glimmer of hope. 

*******

Javi held his hand up to knock on her door and hesitated. The last time he was here, he’d barged in on her having dinner with Felipe. He prayed to God that the man was as far as he could possibly get from here. After they returned to Bogotá yesterday, he hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to her about what happened. He took a deep breath, trying to build up the courage to go through with it. He loudly rapped on the door, instantly regretting his decision when he heard her footsteps walk across the floor. Mina stood there in a low cut dress and her hair done in big, luscious curls that flowed down her shoulders. She stared at him with wide, doe eyes that were pulling him in even more. He felt his knees buckle under his weight as those knots returned to his stomach. He longed to reach out and brush the curl off her neck and bury his face there, nipping at her lovingly while his hands ran down her sides to pull her dress up just enough for him to move to her more sensitive areas and show her just how much he’d missed her over the last twelve years. The blood roared in his ears so loud that he was almost certain she could hear it as he continued fantasizing where he’d let his hands roam. He blinked several times and cleared his throat to bring himself back to reality; the reality where she wanted nothing to do with him, because he’d broken her heart.

“Cat got your tongue, Peña?” she asked with a smirk that drove him even more mad.

He unknowingly licked his lips as his eyes ate up the sight of her. “You look…” he paused and met her eyes. “I just wanted to stop by and say you did a great job yesterday.”

She took a second to actually look at him and saw the hunger in his eyes behind the sincerity. He meant it. She sighed. “Come on in. I still have an hour before I need to leave,” she added.

“Leave?” he asked, confused and not moving from his spot. “I thought you were coming with me to the Murphy’s tonight for dinner.”

“That’s _tonight_?” she asked. “Ugh. I completely forgot! I made plans with Felipe and his cousins tonight.”

Javi felt a pang of jealousy in his chest. She was going out looking like _that_ with his arch-nemesis. “At least stop by with me so you’re not completely blowing us off.”

She folded her arms and looked at him. “I’ll come in for drinks, but Felipe’s cousin is meeting us…”

He took a deep breath and finally walked into her apartment. “Mina…”

She closed the door behind him and sighed. “I know. Look, Javi, I appreciate you trying to look out for me. Really, but I can take care of myself. I don’t trust Felipe as far as I can throw him.”

“And yet you crawl into bed with him every night?”

She gave him a coy grin and stepped closer to him. “What makes you think I need him every night?”

Javi leaned in a little, his throat had gone dry, but he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of getting to him. “Those walls aren’t very thick, mi amada.”

Mina stepped forward and crossed her arms. “I’m aware. My neighbor keeps me up at all hours of the night.”

His breath tickled her lips as he grabbed her, pulling her closer to him. “It’s been a while since we’ve stayed up all night together.”

“Javi…” she whispered, putting her hand on his chest. His grip on her hips tightened just a little, and she could feel herself melting into him again. She kept her gaze trained on her hand, afraid to look up into his eyes and melting even more.

“Mina,” he breathed, “I’m sorry for everything.”

She gazed up at him with tears in her eyes, her hand slowly sliding up his chest and resting on his cheek. “I know you are,” she softly replied, “but you have to live with that.” She turned away from him and grabbed her clutch. 

Javi let out a slow breath and closed his eyes. He felt his hand reach out for her; he found her. This time, she didn’t pull away. Gently, he pulled her back into his arms. She let out a soft sigh, and instantly their lips found each other. He didn’t have to beg for her to part her mouth just enough for him to deeping his embrace. His hands slid down her sides until he found her thighs, tossing them around his waist. He pinned her against the wall in her foyer. She moaned into his mouth, arousing him even more. Her hands ran through his hair as she leaned her head back, his kisses trailing down her jaw and neck. She grabbed his face again to kiss him as she started pulling at his clothes. His hands had found the edge of her dress and began pushing it up her legs. His fingers instinctively curled on her hips, searching for the pantyline that wasn’t there. He growled against her lips. 

There was a loud knock at her door which caused them both to freeze and look at each other. Mina’s head was spinning as she and Javi both tried to catch their breath. There was another knock. “Mina?” she heard Felipe through the door. 

“Shit,” she mumbled, unwrapping herself from Javi. “I’ll be right there, Felipe,” she shouted.

Mina ran down the hallway to her bedroom to fix her make-up. Luckily the worst of it was her lipstick. She wiped it off and redid it, fixed her curls, and straightened her dress. She grabbed a washcloth and tossed it to Javi when she saw him. “Wipe that lipstick off your face,” she said.

He was still frozen in the same spot, angry and hurt. He did as she instructed and wiped his face clean. She buttoned his shirt back up and straightened it before taking a deep breath to open the door. “Estás temprano,” she smiled, kissing Felipe on the cheek.

Felipe looked at the distraught Javier behind her. “¿Estoy interrumpiendo algo?”

She shook her head and glanced back at her partner. “Peña se va ahora.”

Javi absentmindedly nodded and moved past the pair. “Tell Connie sorry for me,” she shouted after him. 

He turned back and gazed at her. She’d turned back to Felipe, giving this man all of her attention and leaving Javi in the stairwell alone. He slowly made his way up to Steve and Connie’s apartment. He lightly knocked on the door, and Steve answered. “Jesus,” he said, “what happened to you?”

Javi shook his head and let himself into the apartment. Connie had beers ready, and he grabbed his off the counter before making himself at home on their couch. His hair was a mess, his clothes were wrinkled, and his mind was still in her foyer. For a brief moment he had her back in his life, but the second Felipe knocked on her door reality settled back in. He took a long pull off the beer bottle and leaned back against the couch. Connie glanced at Steve and then back at Javi. “Where’s Mina?” she innocently asked.

“She’s out with Felipe,” he sighed.

“What happened?” Steve added.

“Nothing,” he replied, “Nothing happened. Felipe showed up and stopped everything.”

Connie sighed and sat down next to Javi. Steve sat in the chair adjacent to him and rolled his eyes. She was going to get involved and he was going to suffer the terrible consequences. “Javi,” she continued, “I only know the basics of what happened. Mina told me very little, but if what Steve told me is true and it’s all a misunderstanding, then you need to force her to listen to the truth. You need to tell her, even if she doesn’t want to listen. The only way you have hope of getting her back is if you tell her everything.”

He looked at her before taking another sip of beer. “She wants nothing to do with me,” he argued.

She shook her head. “I’m sure that’s why you came up here frustrated and your hair in disarray. Oh,” she grabbed the collar of his shirt, “is that lipstick I see? Luscious red by the looks of it.”

Steve tried to hide his laugh by taking a drink of his beer, but he failed. “When we asked if she was coming tonight, we didn’t mean like _that_.”

“Steve!”

He smiled at his wife and gave her a small wink.

Javier glared at him. “We didn’t even get that far,” he said between gritted teeth, “I told you. Felipe showed up before anything happened.” He finished his beer and set the empty glass on the counter. “I need to just cut my losses. I fucked up and lost her.”

The oven dinged, pulling Connie away from the conversation. Steve sighed and leaned forward on his knees. “It’s probably for the best, Jav,” he added, “if the two of you move past this, then maybe we can start working as an actual team. I think she’s one more giant argument away from leaving, and I’m not about to have the best part of our team transferred to somewhere else. She’s brilliant and we need her.”

He nodded, begrudgingly agreeing. He tried to forget what happened earlier with Mina, but it was impossible. Javi could feel all the old feelings he’d kept repressed bubbling to the surface. Since he’d first kissed her back at the Embassy, he craved her. Out of all the partners he’d had, no one compared to her. It was always different with her, and since then he’d been chasing that high he’d felt with her. He’d yet to accept that he’d find no one else like her; that he’d fucked up so bad he chased his one away. 

Dinner passed without event, Connie trying to keep the subject light and fun so he wouldn’t wallow in his mistakes. They’d ended the night playing penny poker over a few beers and laughing about old cases, and for a while this plan worked. When it was time for him to venture downstairs to his apartment, he froze for a moment and glanced at her door. She’d be spending the night with the ex-cop turned informant, and he’d be spending it….

Javi sighed, setting his keys on the counter and picking up the phone. He’d be damned if he’d go to bed alone tonight.

***

Mina walked back to her apartment with Felipe close behind her. All night, since her encounter with Javi, she’d been left feeling wanting. She vaguely remembered dragging him back to her bedroom, only to freeze when she heard the usual soft, feminine pleas coming in through the thin walls. Felipe wrapped his arms around her, kissing along the back of her neck. She kept her eyes wide open as she stared at the tanned wall, picturing what Javier was doing just on the other side. His hands traveled down her body, pulling her into him as he balled her dress up in his fists. She spun around and saw Javier’s face where Felipe’s once was as she kissed him deeply, whimpering against him. 

Javier glanced down at the nameless woman on his bed, the next notch on his bedpost that still wouldn’t compare to Jasmina. She bit her bottom lip and smiled at him as she pulled him closer to her and ran kisses just above his belt. He let out a deep growl, watching her slide his pants over his hips before wetting her plump lips and wrapping them around him. 

Mina arched her back on the bed, trying to control her cries. Her hand flew to the head between her legs as she moved her hips against him, her toes curling. Her head knew it was Felipe bringing her to euphoria, but the rest of her wanted to believe it was Javier. When Felipe returned to her lips, she closed her eyes to keep her fantasy alive as he moved in. She held onto his forearms as she let out restrained gasps.

Javi climbed over his partner, slowly sliding in. He buried his face into her neck. He could hear Mina’s faint moans and whimpers through the walls, and it was only driving him more insane. He imagined each move and thrust were in time with Mina, determined to let her finish first. “Fuck,” he groaned into her neck, moving faster. 

Mina could feel the fever washing over her. She was getting close. Her memories flashed back to the last time she and Javi were together. They were at that cabin he’d brought up. His soft skin moving against hers as he filled her so perfectly. They moved together so effortlessly that every time was their best time. She arched her back one final time, and through the great cosmic irony, Javi felt his release follow soon after. Their names falling off each other’s lips as a soft prayer that things could return to the way they were before.

**Translations**

  * _Hijo de puta. - Motherfucker_
  * _Chica Loca - Crazy girl_
  * _Tienes suerte de que amo a mi esposa, Peña. - You’re lucky I love my wife, Peña.  
_
  * _Olvidas que yo también hablo español. - You forgot that I also speak Spanish._
  * _Lo siento, Mina. - I’m sorry, Mina.  
_
  * _No hay salida, Carlitos. Vas a Disneylandia. - There’s no way out, Carlitos. You’re going to Disneyland.  
_
  * _Déjame llevarte a mi tienda y cambiar de opinión. - Let me take you to my tent and change your mind.  
_
  * _Vuelve a hablarle así y te meteré una bala entre sus ojos, cabrón. - Speak to her like that again, and I’ll put a bullet between your eyes, asshole.  
_
  * _Tranquilo, mi amado. - Relax, my love._
  * _Mi amada - my darling_
  * _Estás temprano. - You’re early.  
_
  * _¿Estoy interrumpiendo algo? - Am I interrupting something?  
_
  * _Peña se va ahora. - Peña is leaving now.  
_




	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina’s contact falls through. Javi decides to give it one last try to tell Mina the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m keeping this short. Spanish Translations will be at the bottom, and this one is a little Spanish heavy in the beginning with Felipe and his cousin. I love you all and thank you for the overwhelming amount of support! Let me know what you think!!

_“There is nothing that anyone can say to me  
_ _To persuade me to change my mind needlessly  
_ _For here I am and I will stay  
_ _To long for you in every way  
_ _To love you better, come what may  
_ _To fight for you another day, yeh, yeh  
_ _Come unto me” -[Come Unto Me by The Mavericks](https://href.li/?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ-n-SIn-bM&ab_channel=OllieRiches)_

Mina woke up and stretched. She reached across the sheets for Felipe, and noticed he was gone. Opening her eyes, she saw him sitting at the edge of her bed pulling on his boots. “¿Qué pasa?” she asked, inching closer to him. **  
**

He looked over his shoulder at her and sighed. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck. “¿Quieres desayuno?”

He didn’t answer again. It was clear something was bothering him, and she could only guess what it was. “Felipe,” she started, but then stopped herself.

“Sé que no somos una pareja, pero,” he paused and faced her, “¿hay algo entre ti y Agente Peña?”

Mina’s eyes fell on the wrinkled sheets. She was angry with herself for even uttering Javi’s name once, let alone twice last night while she and Felipe had sex, but she couldn’t ignore the old feelings that kept resurfacing every time she was alone with him. “Felipe,” she said again, “tenemos una relación muy complicada pero no hay nada entre Javi y yo.”

He gave her an unconvincing look. It was obvious he didn’t believe her. “¿Por qué dijiste su nombre y no el mío?”

There it was. The elephant in the room had been addressed, and it was weighing heavy on her. “El rompió mi corazón pero nunca dejé de amarlo. Disfruto estar contigo, pero Javi…”

Felipe nodded. He understood. It hurt a little, because he always thought fondly of Mina; but he knew he couldn’t compete with the feelings she still harbored for her ex. He rested his hand on her thigh and gazed at her. “Quizás sea bueno que me vaya la semana que viene.” He reached for the back of her head, drawing her in to kiss her forehead. “Si vuelve a romperte el corazón, le patearé el trasero.”

Mina smiled at him. She wanted to tell him that despite what he thinks, she’ll never trust Javi enough to let him be this close to her again. She might still love him, but not enough to forget what he’d done to her. She glanced up into his eyes, sad that he was the next one out her door, but this was routine. Eventually they would realize she was too damaged, too jaded to let anyone else in, and they would leave. “No quiero que te vayas, Felipe,” she softly pleaded.

He gave her a small grin. “Lo sé, pero no puedo competir con el amor de tu vida que vive al lado tuyo.”

She felt a small twinge in her chest and wanted to correct him about Javi, but even she knew that was accurate. However, no matter how much she did care about him, her heart wouldn’t let her forgive him. He’d done irreparable damage to her. She’d never want him again. “Lo amo pero no puedo estar con él. No puedo confiar en él,” she sighed. Felipe didn’t respond. She could tell he didn’t believe her, especially after last night. “¿Vas a ver tu primo?”

He nodded and stood. Wrapping a sheet around her, she followed him out into her foyer. She felt remorse for hurting him, but in the end she was used to watching them leave. At some point they always did. “Fue divertido mientras duró,” he smiled, softly kissing her again. 

He opened the door and paused when he saw Javier standing there. “Shit,” she mumbled, pulling the sheet tighter around her. 

“Javier,” he said with a grin.

Javi huffed and gave him a curt nod. “Hasta luego, hermosa,” Felipe called behind him.

“Adiós,” she added, before glaring at Javi. “What are you doing at my door this early in the morning?”

He gave her a devilish grin as his eyes raked over her. “Well this certainly brings back memories,” he chuckled.

Her face scrunched together as she growled at him. “You’re awful,” she replied, “what do you want?”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I wanted to talk about last night,” he said, “when we…”

She held her hand up to stop him. “First of all, we aren’t having this conversation while I’m wrapped in a sheet. Naked,” she said, noticing the grin return to his face as he bit his bottom lip, “Second, we can’t keep doing this, Javi.”

“What?”

She sighed and rested against the door. “This,” she motioned between them, “it doesn’t matter how hard you try, I’ll never forgive you. I’ll never want you.”

She watched the charming look on his face disappear. “Do you need a ride to work?” he asked, calmly.

Mina closed the door on him. “Go away, Javi,” she said through the wood before turning to get dressed. She heard him re-enter his apartment as she stepped into the shower to wash off the night before.

***

Since they’d discovered all the evidence against Pablo Escobar and captured Carlos Lehder, all they were able to do was wait. Carlos was extradited to the United States. There was not much they could do until the trial was over. The Colombians had placed all the evidence against Escobar under tight lock and key. Mina and Steve were at their desks filing reports from Lehder’s arrest, finalizing the details to hand over to the Ambassador. She wanted to have accurate accounts of everything they saw; anything to give the grand jury to keep Lehder behind bars. 

Agent Owen walked in leaned against Mina’s desk, glancing through a file she’d had in her tray. “Can I _help_ you?” she asked, ripping the file from his hands. 

“Where’s Peña?” he asked, looking around their office and noticing it was quieter than normal.

She sighed and glanced over to Steve. “I’m not his babysitter,” she replied, rolling her eyes at him.

He huffed. “Well, I thought I should let you know that we heard through the grapevine, Colombia won’t extradite Escobar when we catch him.”

“What!” Steve exclaimed.

Mina looked back to Steve before addressing Owen. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Something to do with the upcoming election. Galán is for extradition, if that helps.” Owen chuckled and stood up. “Well, my business here is done.”

Proud of himself, he strode out of the office past a very late Javier. He glared at the CIA Agent before walking all the way into their office. “What did he want?” he asked.

Steve sighed and leaned back against his chair. “It seems like the upcoming presidential election will determine if extradition will continue to be a thing,” he said.

“Fuck,” Javi said, tossing his jacket over the back of his chair and sitting down. He grabbed a cigarette and lit it. “We need to make sure Galán wins, then.”

“Or get that fucker _before_ the election so we can extradite him,” Mina replied. 

Steve tossed his report on his desk and leaned on his elbows. “What did you get from Felipe last night?”

Mina’s eyes widened as her eyes darted to Javi, who stifled a laugh. “Um, we met his cousin,” she began, trying to think of _something_ to give Steve. “His cousin is friends with someone who knows Poison and Lizard.”

“He told us that when we met him for lunch,” Steve said.

She groaned when she noticed Steve smirking at her. “What?”

“So, what was _so important_ you had to skip dinner last night?” he chuckled.

She leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. “Look, I had made plans and completely forgot about dinner. I will make it up to Connie, I promise,” she whined.

“Those walls are thin, remember,” Javi added, glancing at her the same way he had that morning.

“I’m aware,” she said through her teeth, “I believe you had someone over last night.”

Steve chuckled, but sensed they might start bickering and decided to change the subject. He meant what he’d said to Javi the night before. He didn’t want him to push away the best part of their team, but then he stopped and saw the look Javi and Mina were giving each other. He noticed Javi’s gaze softening the longer he looked at her, and realized how unfair it was to ask him to give up the fight for her. But the look on Mina’s face told a different story: one of love and pain; one that he couldn’t imagine. He cleared his throat to break the silence. “Mina, do you think Felipe’s cousin can get us Poison?” he asked.

“It’s going to take time,” she said, “his cousin is weary about turning into a nark.” She looked at her watch. “Felipe is in town for another week to help me work on his cousin.” 

Javi tense, and Steve could tell he wanted to make a comment. Shockingly, he kept his opinion to himself. 

Mina rose and grabbed her keys. “Why don’t the two of you sift through what we know and I’ll talk with Juan and Felipe?”

“Alone?” Javi blurted.

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be back in a few.”

Javi looked at Steve, who’d gone back to his file, for help. Mina was out of the office, already on the phone with Felipe to set up a meeting. He leaned back in his chair and groaned, rapping his fingers on his desk to pester his partner. “I know what you’re doing,” Steve said, “and it’s not working.”

“Clearly it is if you’re acknowledging it,” Javi replied.

Steve rolled his eyes and looked at him. “I have to get this to the Ambassador before I leave for the day.”

“Which is several hours away.”

“Fine,” he slammed his pen down again. “What’s wrong?”

He leaned in with a large grin. “I think she said my name last night.”

***

She gave Felipe a half-hearted smile as she sat down next to him. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Él llega tarde,” she said.

He nodded. “Se dice que Pablo está planeando algo grande y está asustando a Juan,” he replied, looking towards the door, waiting for his cousin.

“¿Qué?”

Felipe shrugged and motioned to the door. Juan had arrived, cautiously looking around the café before making his way to their booth. “Con rapidez. Creo que me siguieron aquí,” he muttered.

“Necesitamos Veneno,” Mina said, “Hemos negociado durante dos semanas. Necesito algo bueno.”

He huffed. “Me matarán si se enteran. No puedes protegerme.”

She glared at him and glanced at Felipe. “Mira la puerta.”

He nodded and stood near the door, watching for intruders. “Escucha, cabrón. Hemos invertido demasiado tiempo en su oferta para que pueda cambiar de opinión ahora,” she seethed. She leaned in closer to him. “Consígueme Veneno o sin trato.”

Juan glanced down at her and grinned. “Tengo un trato mejor,” he said in a low voice, “Felipe me habló de su compleja relación.” He rested his hand on her thigh, giving it a tight squeeze. “Arreglemos esto en un lugar privado y luego te daré Veneno.”

She tried to move his hand off her, but instead he slid it farther up her leg into dangerous territory. “Let go of me,” she said, “No me toques.”

She slid her chair back and jerked her leg out of his grasp. She saw his expression darken as he moved closer to her. Her chair hit the wall behind her, and she was trapped. Her eyes darted to Felipe, who was leaned against the wall just outside. “Déjame mostrarte un buen momento,” Juan whispered into her ear.

Mina placed her hand on his chest to shove him away as she felt his hands creeping up her sides. She tried pushing him away, but felt there was no escape. “Juan!” she heard a voice exclaim as he was ripped away from her. Felipe had his cousin by the throat before sending his fist into his jaw. “Tócala de nuevo y te mataré.”

Juan glared at him, spit blood out of his mouth, and stormed off. “¿Estás bien?”

She nodded. “Gracias,” she said.

“Lo siento,” he softly said, wiping a tear off her cheek, “Buscaré otro informante antes de irme.”

She told him not to worry about it and that she’d talk to him later. She slowly walked to her Jeep and climbed in, taking several deep breaths. She knew Felipe would never let anything happen to her, but if Javi ever found out Juan was scum, he’d never let her live it down. She took a few more breaths to calm herself before calling Steve. It rang several times before he answered. “Murphy,” he said.

“It’s Rivera,” she replied, “Felipe’s cousin…” her voice shook. She’d dealt with scumbags before, so she didn’t know what was wrong with her. Granted, she’d never been trapped and helpless before.

“Mina,” he cautiously whispered, “what happened?”

“Don’t tell Javi,” she begged, “please.”

“Mina…”

“Felipe took care of it,” she added, “it’s been handled.”

She heard Steve sigh into the phone and Javi shouting in the background. “Is that Mina?”

“Steve, don’t tell Javi.” 

“Fine.”

“He started getting too hands on and Felipe decked him,” she admitted.

“Good,” she heard him reply after a few seconds. 

She heard Javi ask about her again. “Tell him I’m fine.”

“She’s fine, Jav. She’s on her way back.”

“Thank you,” she muttered into the phone, “I’ll be back soon.”

She hung up the phone and tossed it into the seat next to her before pulling away from the café.

***

Hours passed and Mina hadn’t returned to the Embassy yet. Javi was getting restless, constantly pestering Steve about his conversation with her. “You’re irritating,” Steve admitted, “do you know that?”

“She should be back by now,” he said, looking out of the window in their office. He wasn’t even sure why he glanced out there. Their window looked out the opposite side of the building than the parking lot. He paced for a second before sitting at his desk across from Steve’s.

“She’ll be here. She probably had something to do with Felipe first.”

Javi glared at Steve. He knew he was trying to irk his jealousy, and sadly it was working. However, his anxiety evaporated when he heard her enter their office behind them. She was clearly disturbed by the way she tossed her keys on her desk and plopped down in her chair. Both of them watched her as she silently opened her unfinished report and continued filling it out. She didn’t say a word or look at either of them as she diligently worked. Javi glanced back over to Steve who raised his eyebrows and shook his head. Steve looked down at his watch and noted it was 6:00. He turned and grabbed his coat and keys. “I need to get home to Connie,” he said.

She looked up from her report. “Did you finish your-”

“Report?” he grinned and walked across the office to hand her his file. 

“Perfect,” she smiled at him, “I’ll give these to the Ambassador’s secretary before I leave.”

Steve returned her grin and left Javi alone with her. After he and Javi talked, he agreed to let him have one more chance. He’d promised after this time, he’d leave well enough alone. But Javi needed to say his peace if they were going to work together. Steve knew he was right; there was too much unsaid, pent up aggression between them that needed to be settled. After hours at the Embassy was neutral enough for both of them to have the long awaited discussion they both, honestly, deserved.

Once he was gone, Mina was hyper aware of the other set of eyes that were watching her. Honestly, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms to feel safe again. Felipe may have taken care of it then and there, but Javi would make it all disappear. And she was pissed at herself for feeling that way. Not once, in the last decade had she felt like this when she’d come across scumbags. Now, all of the sudden, she needed him, and knowing he was watching her made her feel more on edge. “Take a picture,” she snapped, “it’ll last longer.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise at her outburst. “Mi amada,” he whispered, “what happened?”

She shook her head. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

He sighed. “I can tell you’re upset.”

“What gave it away?” she asked, looking over at him before going back to work.

“Mina, I’m trying to be here for you, but you keep shutting me out,” he calmly replied, “just _talk_ to me.”

She slammed her pen on the desk and glared at him. “Have you ever thought that maybe I shut you out, because I don’t want to be hurt again?”

Javi looked out into the office and saw everyone packing up to go home. He calmly walked to the door, closing it before drawing the blinds. “Okay,” he replied, “we’re doing this now, and you’re not leaving until I’ve said my peace.”

She laughed and crossed her arms. “Fine.”

“For starters, I think you need to drop Felipe. I don’t trust him, and you’re going to get hurt if you keep meeting him alone,” he added, narrowing his eyebrows.

She shook her head. “Noted, and ignored.”

“Mina…”

“No,” she said with such staccato that it startled him, “you don’t get to determine who my informants are. I’ve worked with him for years. I trust Felipe more than I trust you with a lot of things. I have _blindly_ trusted your informants and not said one thing about it. I know that your opinion is based solely on jealousy, so get over it. And honestly, if it wasn’t for him today, things could have taken a worse turn.”

He looked at her, confused. “Wait, what?”

“My contact fell through today,” she said, frustrated, “and thanks to Felipe, he prevented it from getting worse. His cousin got too handsy and had me trapped. Felipe beat the shit out of him. End of story.”

She noticed Javi tense at the thought and he moved to step forward, but she held her hands up to stop him. “I’m fine. I don’t need you riding in on your white horse every time you think I need rescuing.”

“I’m going to kill that fucker,” she heard him mumble. He looked up at her. “Okay, so I was _wrong_ about Felipe, but that doesn’t change the fact that, yeah, I am jealous of him.”

Her eyes shot to him. She knew this fact, but hearing his admission changed everything. And it was the last thing she wanted to hear. She didn’t want to let those walls down for him, and she was worried that the feelings that’d resurfaced would finally bubble over. Mina stood up and grabbed her keys. “Where are you going?”

“Javi,” she sighed, “I’m not doing this anymore.”

He stepped in front of her to stop her. “Are you just going to run out like you did twelve years ago? Run away from your problems instead of face them? You didn’t even give me a moment to explain!”

“Explain what? Regardless of what you try to tell me, it doesn’t change the fact that you were _engaged_!” She said, standing toe to toe with him. 

He laughed and shook his head. “Lorraine and I were not together. I broke things off with her the day I packed up and went to DC. She was living in denial. She just showed up that day and complicated things. She’d told our families that we were working it out. She was trying to get me back, and I didn’t want that. I wanted _you_.”

Silence fell over the office. There was not even a noise on the other side. They were completely alone in their excruciating stillness. Mina shook her head at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. “Then, why didn’t you just tell me that? Why keep it a secret until after graduation?” Her voice cracked a little.

Javi sighed. “When have you ever known me to say what I’m feeling? I’m only doing it now, because I have no other options. I don’t want you to leave me again.” She stared at him, her eyes full of hurt and anger. “I was scared, Mina. Our lives were about to start, and I was terrified of you being disappointed in me once we left the safety of the Academy. After our weekend at that cabin, I realized how in over my head I was. I pictured our lives together, and it scared me. I was afraid that after we left, you’d see the real me and resent him. Lorraine knew the real me, and…”

“So you decided to hurt me instead? Nice, Javier. Real nice,” she replied, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

He ran his hand through his hair. “The second I realized how big of an idiot I was, I tried to fix it. But you bolted. I’d lost you and I’ve never been the same since. Yes, I did hurt you, and I couldn’t be more sorry than I am. I tried to push you away, but I never lied to you. I never cheated on or with you. I respected you too much to do that. Hell, Mina, I was so in love with you that I was willing to break my own heart so you could live a better life without me. Long distance relationships don’t last. It would have led to us falling apart, and I couldn’t handle that.”

She had more tears on her cheeks now as she stared at him, completely shocked by his admission. “What do you want me to say, Javi?” she whispered. “I thought you were it for me, and then you shattered my heart. I’ve never felt so empty before. What you did to me…”

She turned away from him, but she felt his hand catch her wrist. “Mina,” he softly said, but she couldn’t turn to look back at him. “Mina, look at me.”

She slowly rotated and saw his glossy eyes. “Don’t worry, Javi,” she said, clearing her throat, “I’m not going to leave.”

“No,” he said, “that’s not what I want to say.” She watched him take a deep shaky breath. “Mina, if I could take it all back, I would. I never meant to hurt you.”

Mina sighed. “I want to believe you. I really do, but it’s hard. I can’t trust you.”

He rested his hands gently on the side of her face, wiping a few tears away with his thumbs. “Then, I will spend the rest of my life paying for this mistake. I accepted that fate twelve years ago. All I wanted was for you to know the truth.”

She rested her hands on his wrists, wanting to pull them away from her face but finding she couldn’t. “What am I supposed to do now?” she asked in a shaky voice.

Javi gave her a small smile, his heart beating loudly in his chest. “Start over with me,” he whispered against her lips.

“Javi…” she said so softly she wasn’t sure if she actually spoke. It was too late though, her feelings had bubbled over past the point of putting them back in their bottle.

He closed the gap between them, his lips crashing into hers. She wrapped her arms around him as her hands ran through his hair. He nipped at her bottom lip before deepening his kiss and tasting all of her. She was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted, and he craved her everyday. Mina let out a sigh when he left her mouth to venture down her neck. He tossed her legs around his waist as he walked towards a desk to set her on. They pushed the file trays, lamps, and whatever else to the other side as their hands flew to each other’s shirts. She carefully unbuttoned his, but in Javi’s impatience, he pulled her’s apart and sent three buttons across the room. She laughed against his mouth as her hands ran over his chest and shoulders under the opened shirt. His hands traveled all over her, tracing a familiar map on her body as if they’d never left. She pulled him closer to her as she pulled at his belt, but he stopped her. 

Javi’s hands traveled to her skirt and pushed it up over her hips and gently grabbed the lacy underwear and slid it off her. His hand moved between her legs to feel how ready she was for him. He ran his fingers up and down her, suddenly feeling her grip his arm as she gasped. They looked deep into each other’s eyes as he tortured her with the slowest massage of her life. He rubbed circles around her with his thumb before bringing his fingers to her mouth to wet them. She parted her lips for him and he smiled, “that’s my girl.” Slowly, he pulled them out of her mouth and inserted one and then two where she wanted him most.

Mina let out a short gasp, trying to keep her noises to a minimum in case someone was lurking outside their office door. She bit her bottom lip and whimpered as he moved in circles on her walls pumping his fingers in and out of her. He curled them as he moved out and she threw her head back, letting out a harsh breath. “Javi,” she pleaded.

“That’s right, Querida. Cry my name, just like you did last night,” his voice was low and gravelly.

Her eyes flew open as she gazed at him. He’d heard her last night, but right now, her mind was too preoccupied with what he was doing between her legs. She saw his devilish smile, which she instantly returned. His thumb returned to rubbing circles around her, and she already forgot her embarrassment. She hissed and bit her bottom lip as her hips bucked against his hand. “Fuck, Javi,” she whined. The things he could do to her with his hands should be criminal, but she was so thankful they weren’t. He continued his long, deep strokes as she ground against him. Her toes curled in her heels as she arched her back. She was close, and he could feel it. Soon, the euphoric fever washed over her as her walls clenched around his fingers and coated them. She let out a stifled cry as she tried catching her breath.

He cleaned his fingers off before kissing her again. His hands left her sides, and she heard him fumbling with his belt. Her hands pushed him out of the way as she undid it as he helped her slide them off. Without pause or hesitation, he pulled her closer to him and slid into her with ease. She groaned as he stretched and filled her so completely. “You feel just like I remember,” he breathed against her lips. 

They gazed into each other’s eyes for a minute, and Javi could see the look he’d been missing for years. Her legs wrapped around him as her high heels rested against the backs of his legs. He leaned her back just enough that he could rest his hands on the desk while she gripped his arm. He moved out of her almost completely before swiftly moving back in and she cried a little too loud for the both of them. He smiled before silencing her with his mouth as he continued to move his hips against hers, thrusting long, hard movements against her. Her whimpers against his mouth drove him mad. The office was full of their rhythmic breathing as skin met with skin. She bucked against him again, remembering how good he actually was. His pace was excruciating and perfect at the same time. Her fingers dug into his arm as she threw her head back and let out another strained moan. “Javi.”

“Tell me what you want, mi amor,” he growled.

“More,” she begged, “I need more, Javi.”

He pulled her closer to her, driving him deeper before sitting in the chair nearby. His hands gripped her hips as he helped her ride him. He thrust up into her, meeting her movements. He let out a deep, guttural groan as he felt her start to clench around him, drawing all the life out of his body. “Mina,” he hissed, “Fuck, Mina.”

She bit her bottom lip and tossed her head back. He rested his thumb between them to massage her clit, helping push her over to the edge. Her pants were becoming erratic as she ground against him, pulling him into her as deep as she could. She let out an impassioned sigh as she kissed him to keep the noise between them. Mina continued to move through her release, coating him with her orgasm and waiting for him to finish. She could feel him twitch inside her as he thrust into her harder. He cursed into the crook of her neck as he felt the fever wash over him as he came. They moved as one through their releases before their labored breathing was all that was left of them.

Mina was taking deep breaths as she looked down at Javi. His eyes were wide with desire as he smiled at her. She leaned forward and rested her forehead on his. He grabbed her face with his hands and kissed her deeply, except he noticed a change in her as she pulled away. She stood up and fixed her skirt, grabbing her underwear from the floor, and buttoned what she could of her shirt. She kept her back to him for a minute, and he got dressed himself. He walked over to her and kissed the back of her neck, but she shied away from him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

She pulled on her jacket and grabbed her purse. “I just need to be alone right now,” she said, without looking at him.

“Mina,” Javi whispered, “what did I do wrong?”

She slowly turned and gazed at him. “Javi, I’ve spent the better part of twelve years hating you for no reason,” she replied, “and then we just fucked on Steve’s desk.”

He grinned at her. “We did, didn’t we?” he laughed. “He’s going to be so pissed.”

The corners of her mouth twitched into a small smile. “Look,” she sighed, “you didn’t do anything. You were…” she paused, “well, for the sake of not inflating your ego anymore.” She winked at him.

His smile widened. “Then what’s the matter?”

She rested her hand on his arm. “I just need to process everything,” she replied.

Javier gave her a knowing look. He knew her well enough to know exactly what that meant. “You’re going home and calling Amelia, aren’t you?”

Mina rolled her eyes. “I’m going home,” she said, “I’ll see you in the morning Javi.”

Before he could stop her or reply, she was out of the office and gone for the evening. He looked around at the mess they’d made and grinned. Files and ornaments from Steve and Javi’s desk were strewn everywhere across the office. He understood that she needed space to think right now, but he was selfish and wanted to still be near her. Javi wasn’t quite finished making up for lost time. He remembered the last time they’d been together before she fled.

> _“I knew it from the start, Javier, and should have honestly seen this coming, and to think I was going to tell you that I’ve been in love with you since the first day we met. I never want to hear your voice or see your face again.”_

No matter what he told her, the damage was done. She needed to process what had just happened. He couldn’t expect her to just completely forget the last twelve years. He sighed and started cleaning up the mess they’d made, occasionally looking out the door and hoping she’d reappear. He wanted to be there with her and process this new step they’d taken together, but he respected her decision and would keep his distance until she was ready. He said his peace; she knew the truth, and now she needed to make the choice to forgive him.

Mina sat in her Jeep for a few, reliving the last twenty minutes. She honestly couldn’t believe what happened, but she was glad it did. He was amazing and made her feel more alive than she had in a long time. She sighed and started her vehicle. He was right, she was going to go home and call Amelia. If anyone could slap some sense into her, it would be her best friend. 

**Translations**

_Scene 1_

  * _¿Qué pasa? - What’s wrong?  
_
  * _¿Quieres desayuno? - Do you want breakfast?_
  * _Sé que no somos una pareja pero ¿hay algo entre ti y Agente Peña? - I know we aren’t a couple, but is there something between you and Agent Peña?_
  * _Tenemos una relación muy complicada pero no hay nada entre Javi y yo. - We have a very complicated relationship, but there is nothing between us._
  * _¿Por qué dijiste su nombre y no el mío? - Why did you say his name and not mine?_
  * _El rompió mi corazón pero nunca dejé de amarlo. Disfruto estar contigo, pero Javi… - He broke my heart, but I never stopped loving him. I enjoy being with you, but Javi…  
_
  * _Quizás sea bueno que me vaya la semana que viene. - Maybe it is a good thing I am leave next week.  
_
  * _Si vuelve a romperte el corazón, le patearé el trasero. - If he breaks your heart again, I will kick his ass.  
_
  * _No quiero que te vayas, Felipe. - I don’t want you to leave.  
_
  * _Lo sé, pero no puedo competir con el amor de tu vida que vive al lado tuyo. - I know, but I can’t compete with the love of your life living next door to you.  
_
  * _Lo amo pero no puedo estar con él. No puedo confiar en él. - I love him but I cannot be with him. I can’t trust him.  
_
  * _¿Vas a ver tu primo? - Are you going to go see your cousin?  
_
  * _Fue divertido mientras duró. - It was fun while it lasted.  
_



_Scene 3_

  * _Él llega tarde. - He’s late._
  * _Se dice que Pablo está planeando algo grande y está asustando a Juan. - There’s word that Pablo is planning something big and it’s scaring Juan.  
_
  * _Con rapidez. Creo que me siguieron aquí. - Quickly. I think I was followed.  
_
  * _Necesitamos Veneno. Hemos negociado durante dos semanas. Necesito algo bueno. - We need Poison. We’ve negotiated for two weeks. I need something good.  
_
  * _Me matarán si se enteran. No puedes protegerme. - They’ll kill me if they find out. You can’t protect me.  
_
  * _Mira la puerta. - Watch the door.  
_
  * _Escucha, cabrón. Hemos invertido demasiado tiempo en su oferta para que pueda cambiar de opinión ahora. Consígueme Veneno o sin trato. - Listen, asshole. We’ve spent too much time on your deal for your to change your mind now. Get me Poison or no deal.  
_
  * _Tengo un trato mejor. Felipe me habló de su compleja relación. Arreglemos esto en un lugar privado y luego te daré Veneno. - I have a better deal. Felipe told me of your complex relationship. Let’s settle this somewhere private, and then I’ll give you Poison.  
_
  * _No me toques.- Don’t touch me.  
_
  * _Déjame mostrarte un buen momento. - Let me show you a good time.  
_
  * _Tócala de nuevo y te mataré. - Touch her again, and I’ll kill you.  
_
  * _¿Estás bien? - Are you okay?  
_
  * _Lo siento. Buscaré otro informante antes de irme. - I’m sorry. I’ll find you another informant before I leave._




End file.
